The Washington Insurgency
by FirebatRay
Summary: After the Lone Wanderer disappeared in 2297, the Capital Wasteland experienced a Golden Age of peace! But it was not mean't to last and now a new power seeks to control whatever the Capital Wasteland has to offer. Will the Brotherhood of Steel be able to protect the Capital Wasteland or will it fall under the shadow of this new power?
1. The Sharp Claws of the Bear

War…War never changes…

 **February 27, 2307; 3:00pm**

 **Capital Wasteland, Jefferson Memorial (The Purifier):**

"GET DOWN!" shouted a Brotherhood of Steel Paladin towards a group of armed wastelanders as a missile narrowly misses them

"We're getting outgunned here!" Shouted an armed male wastelander "I think we should retreat!"

"Negative!" the Paladin replied "We have to hold the Purifier!"

"Ah shit!" a female wastelander said "We got more vertibirds landing! At this rate, we're gonna get overwhelmed!"

"Hold steady!" the Paladin replied "We can do this!"

As the brave soldiers fight to defend The Purifier from their enemy, a Brotherhood Knight approaches the Paladin

"Paladin Vasquez!" the Knight said "Enemy forces have breached the 2nd defensive line! They're going to breach the main door soon!"

"Shit!" Vasquez shouted "Any word on reinforcements?"

"No Sir!" the Knight replied "We couldn't get a hold on the Citadel! Last transmission stated that they're under attack too!"

Vasquez, seeing how grim the situation was, looked around…

The combined forces of the Brotherhood and the wastelanders were being overwhelmed by the enemy forces… One by one, each soldier would fall prey to the superior weapons and numbers of the enemy…

A normal commander would simply surrender but not Paladin Vasquez… The word, surrender, was never registered in his dictionary and despite the grim situation; he rallied the surviving squads and said

"We fight till the last man!"

He and his soldiers then give a loud battle cry as they valiantly fight against the enemy

 **7:21pm:**

After all the dust had settled, the enemy forces stood triumphant over the Brotherhood… But not all were killed in the attack, fortunately, the enemy allowed the capture of several soldiers and commanders…

And with that, the Flag of the two-headed bear rose over the Purifier…

As the soldiers begin to occupy their new base, the commander arrives.

Smoking a cigarette, he scours the devastation caused by the battle… Twisted metal, pieces of meat, blood… Name it, it was everywhere…

He puffed a smoke and said "Well… They sure put up a fight…"

He then brings out a radio and says "What's the status on Point Zero?"

"Point Zero is secured, sir!" The soldier responded "Elder Lyons of the Brotherhood of Steel has been detained! Awaiting orders, sir!"

"Good… What a hefty prize we got here…" the Commander said as he stares at the Jefferson Memorial.

 **Flashback:**

 **2277:**

The Lone Wanderer from Vault 101 emerges in search for his father… He would later contribute to so many things that would change the Capital wasteland forever… And after his disappearance, the Capital Wasteland continued to thrive:

With its atomic bomb diffused, the small town of Megaton grew and became the central trading town in the entire wasteland… Any trader would be stupid to not come to Megaton to trade.

Rivet City grew larger, expanding the city limits to outside the ship it was originally built in… Now, Rivet City has 2 main districts: The Lower and Upper Districts.

The Brotherhood of Steel, along with the regulators and several other volunteer groups, gave law to the land and successfully ended slavery after Paradise Falls was destroyed by the Lone Wanderer. Raiders and Slavers were no longer a major threat but some still persist with varying degrees of success…

The Super Mutants from Vault 87 were nearly wiped out after a Brotherhood purge, led by the Lone Wanderer himself, destroyed the very source of the Super Mutants. Although some still remain, they no longer pose as big of a threat as before.

With law restored, small towns such as Arefu, Gindershade and Big town grew and flourished.

Some districts in the D.C. Ruins such as Pennsylvania Avenue and Takoma Park became settlements themselves.

Years after the Lone Wanderer disappeared to parts unknown, the Capital Wasteland experience a 'Golden Age' where people could live freely and happy without worrying much about the dangers of the wasteland. However, this was not meant to last…

 **2305:**

The year that would mark the end of the Golden Years for the Capital Wasteland…

Without warning, the New California Republic, after their failed conquest of New Vegas, set their sights on taking control of the Capital Wasteland. It started when they rebuilt the former Enclave Headquarters in Raven Rock and began to expand from there…

The occupation was strongly opposed by the Brotherhood of Steel as they saw the arrival of the NCR as a sign of war.

Arriving on Raven Rock a month after the NCR arrived, the Brotherhood attempted to ease the tensions but learning from their failures in New Vegas, the NCR declared war upon the Brotherhood and killed one of the delegates. This would begin a war that would not only test the resolve of the New Capital Wasteland but it would decide its fate as well…

 **2307:**

By the end of February, the NCR had almost total domination of the Capital Wasteland… It seemed that the Brotherhood had lost… as they experienced one set back after another… And now, the NCR's flag rises over the ruins of the Citadel and the Purifier… It would seem that the Capital Wasteland would become another territory of the New California Republic…

 **Back in the Present:**

 **D.C. Ruins (Near Tepid Sewers):**

The next day, a small group of captured wastelanders were being transported to a NCR prison camp somewhere near the Bethesda Ruins…

Among the prisoners was a woman… a volunteer who survived the failed defense of the Purifier…

"NCR scum…" a male prisoner said in a low voice "… we were doing just fine without you…"

"No use complaining like that…" the woman replied in a low voice "You'll just make it worse if any of these boneheads hear you…"

As the convoy marches towards the prison camp, they were suddenly attacked by a group of super mutants. The NCR guards responded accordingly and began to fight the super mutants.

Seeing an opportunity, the woman manages to untie the rope tied to her wrists and free the other prisoners.

"Ok" she said "Let's get outta here while these goons are busy with the mutants!"

But before they could get far, a NCR guard spots them and a small squad, composing of 3 men, chase after the prisoners.

"Stop!" the NCR guard shouts "Stop or We'll shoot!"

One of the prisoners turns around and shouts "Fuck you assholes!"

Upon saying that, he gets shot in the head by one of the guards

"Dumbass" the woman said as the guards begin to open fire on them

 **A few minutes later:**

The escaped prisoners' luck ran out when they encountered a NCR checkpoint near the Super Duper Mart. Surrounded and with no means of escape, many of the escaped prisoners began to panic as they take cover behind some debris in the bridge.

"What do we do!?" a panicked Male prisoner said "What do we do!?"

"It's over…" said another male prisoner "… We're gonna die…"

"Why does this keep happening to me!?" shouted a female prisoner

"Shut up, you retards!"

The panicking prisoners immediately stopped and stared at the woman.

"All of you will get a grip!" she said "Or so help me, I'll kill you all myself! Understand!"

"Y-yes" the group said nervously

"Good!" the woman said "Now, since we can't outrun these bastards, we only have one option…"

As she said this, the woman points down towards the river below…

"You mean we're gonna jump!?" a male prisoner said in a panicked tone

"You got a better idea?" the woman replied

"But we'll be easy targets!" the female prisoner replied

"So you'd rather sit here and beg for mercy is that it?" the woman replied

Everyone was silent for a while but soon, the sound of gunfire woke them from their daze and they all agreed to jump into the river.

"Ok" the woman said "Grab whatever you can and start throwing! Distract those bastards while we each jump! Got it?"

"Y-yeah!" the prisoners replied

With that, the prisoners grabbed whatever objects they could find and started hurling it towards thee NCR soldiers.

They were lucky as some of the things they threw actually managed to injure a few of them thus, buying them time to escape…

When it was time for the woman to make the jump, there was no one left to cover her and thus, the NCR soldiers began to fire on her.

"Don't let her escape!" they shouted

"See you bitches!" she said as she jumps

But as she leapt from the edge of the bridge, she was shot in the stomach and she fell into the river below…

The NCR soldiers look on as they see her body float and presume her dead… With that, the NCR soldiers left and began to hunt for the remaining escaped prisoners as the woman's body slowly drifted…

 **Some time later:**

The woman wakes up inside a room… It looked like the room was made of old scrapped parts…

"Where am I…?" she wondered

As she tried to get up, she felt a pain in her stomach and she remembered what had happened.

"That's right!" she said "I was shot! Oh shit!"

She then quickly looked at her stomach and she was surprised to see that it was bandaged… She doesn't remember applying anything to the wound… So how did this get here?

"What happened…?" she wondered

"Want me to explain?"

She quickly looks towards the direction of the voice and sees a man wearing leather armor.

"Don't be alarmed…" he said "I saved your ass…"

"Huh?" She wondered

"I found you washed up by the side of the river and saw you bleeding…" he said "so I decided to patch you up as best I could"

"So where am I?" the woman asked

"You're in Megaton" the man replied "The clinic to be exact"

"How long was I out?" she asked

"3 days…" the man replied

The woman then stayed silent, trying to absorb everything that had happened… and said "Well… Thank you for patching me up…"

"No problem…" the man replied "It's what I do… Anyway, mind if I ask your name?"

The woman was caught off guard with that request… She stayed silent for a while and said "Ellie… My name is Ellie… I'm a mercenary"

"Merc huh…" the man replied "interesting… So what's a merc doing washed up and bleeding by the river?"

Upon asking the question, Ellie experienced flashbacks of the failed battle… She began to hyperventilate

"Hey" the man said "You alright?"

But Ellie quickly regained her composure and said "I was part of a group of mercs trying to defend the purifier from the NCR…"

"Oh so you're part of that outfit…" the man replied

"Yes… We managed to keep the NCR at bay for several days but… they eventually managed to overpower us…"

"That right…" the man replied in a serious tone

Ellie looks at the man sees his face… His face was brimming with silent anger…

"I have to go…" the man said "Take some rest… You're not fully healed yet…"

"Wait" Ellie said "Where are you going? Who are you?"

"They call me Rufus…" the man replied "And where I'm headed… Well, I can't tell you that… See ya, Ellie and I hope we meet again…"

He then gives Ellie a 9mm pistol and some ammunition.

"What's this for" Ellie asked

"The wasteland's become dangerous again because of this war…" Rufus replied "Better safe than sorry"

As he said this, he left.

Ellie, while lying in her bed, reminiscence the past few days…

A few days ago, she was defending The Purifier from the NCR and the next; she becomes a prisoner, gets shot and wakes up inside a clinic's bed days later…

As she does this, she quickly remembers her pendant… She wasn't wearing it! In a panic, she quickly gets out of bed.

Despite the pain, she searches for her missing pendant… Seeing her walk, the doctor quickly reprimanded her

"My pendant…" she said

"Your pendant?" the doctor replied "If you're talking about your stuff, its right here!"

The doctor then points out to a case. Opening it, Ellie sees her pendant. It was a circular pendant with an eagle as an insignia.

"Is that thing so important for you to risk your health over?" the doctor asked

"Yes…" Ellie replied "yes it is…"

She then returned to her bed and stared at the pendant…

 **A few days later:**

Ellie's wounds were fully healed and she was well enough to leave the clinic… Stepping outside the clinic, she stares at the blue sky and went on her way…


	2. Fiore

**Megaton; 10:00am:**

After spending weeks cooped up inside a clinic, Ellie was finally well enough to leave.

However, with most of her equipment and caps gone, all she had was a box of her special mentats and the 9mm pistol Rufus gave her.

She knew that she would have to stay in Megaton for a little while longer…

"Great…" she thought "… no money… again..."

She then started walking towards Moriarty's Saloon…

"… I need to get back to Fiore soon…" she thought as she climbed the long array of stairs

 **Moriarty's Saloon:**

Once inside, the young woman sits near the counter. To her right, she hears the radio broadcast from GNR.

"Greetings People of the Capital Wasteland" Three Dog announced in a dejected voice "The NCR has declared the Capital Wasteland as part of its territory and ask the citizens to cooperate with NCR officials to catch criminals such as those who affiliate themselves with the Brotherhood of Steel…"

"NCR trash…" Ellie said as she covers her right ear

Coincidentally, about 4 NCR soldiers arrive as Gob greets them.

"What can I do for you?" he asked

"Can it zombie!" one of the NCR soldiers said mockingly "We're looking for Colin Moriarty! Call him here, will ya?"

Without uttering a word, Gob complies and searches for Moriarty in the back room.

Ellie sat there quiet with fury slowly building up inside of her as she witnesses some of the NCR soldiers bully some of the locals.

Not long after, Moriarty arrives.

"What can I do for ya?" he said

"We're here to collect taxes, Mr. Moriarty" the NCR soldier replied as he hands over a piece of paper to Moriarty

"Ain't this shit" Moriarty said as he reads the letter "I don't ever remember Megaton ever surrendering its freedom to you, jokers."

"What was that!?" one of the NCR soldiers said in anger

"You heard me" Moriarty replied in an intimidating tone "I don't remember ever becoming a citizen of your stupid republic"

"Oh… We got a smart-ass over here!" the NCR soldier said as he grabs his pistol and aims it at Moriarty's head "Haven't you heard the news? We own everything in and around this place now. So you'll pay those taxes or else, the NCR's gonna burn your little pub into the ground!"

"What a load of bull" Moriarty replied in a casual tone

"Y-You son of a bitch!" the NCR soldier shouted

As the soldier was about to shoot Moriarty, Ellie acted quickly and shot the NCR soldier's hand, prompting him to drop his pistol.

The other NCR soldiers then turned to face Ellie

"Hey-" one of them angrily said before Ellie sucker punches him

"Why you!" said another as he brings out his pistol

But before the soldier could shoot, Ellie moved quickly and throws the man into the floor.

In response, the other soldiers attempted to shoot her

She then proceeded to grab one soldier and breaks his right arm as she moves to the next one and punches him in the face.

When she moved on the last soldier, he fired his pistol but missed as she grabs his arm and kicks him in the groin.

For the next few minutes, the NCR soldiers were down on the floor and writhing in pain...

Eventually, they all stood up and began to walk away...

"Y-You'll regret this!" shouted one NCR soldier as he and the rest leave the saloon.

With the threat gone, Ellie turned to Moriarty

"Are you ok?" Ellie asked

"Oh I'm fine" he replied "Those are some pretty fancy moves, you did there… Reminded me of a certain colorful character I used to know…"

"Right…" she said as she leaves the saloon

Still with no work, she proceeded to her next destination in town.

 **Craterside Supply:**

Upon entering the shop, she sees a woman checking through her inventory. Noticing Ellie, the woman quickly walks towards her and says

"H-Hi! I'm Moira Brown! What can I do for you today? Do you want a copy of the Wasteland Survival Guide?"

"Um…no uh…" Ellie replied nervously "You seem to be having some trouble…"

"Trouble…?" Moira replied in a delighted tone "How did you know? Are you a psychic?"

"No…" Ellie replied "I could see it on how you handled yourself back there"

"Well… you're right" Moira replied "I did an inventory check and I saw that I ran out of sugar bombs for one of my experiments…"

"I could help you find some, if you want…" Ellie offered

"Oh you will?" Moira replied with an upbeat tone "Oh thank you! Bring me about 5 boxes of it! I'll pay you of course!"

"Yes… Thank you" Ellie replied "Where do I find sugar bombs around here?"

"You can find them in the Super Duper Mart… Just outside of town" Moira replied

 **40 minutes later:**

When Ellie reached the vicinity of the Mart, she saw the NCR checkpoint that nearly compromised her escape attempt…

Suddenly, several images of the failed defense on The Purifier began to flash in her mind…

She could remember it all… the gunshots, the screams, the voices of her companions and even the pain she felt when she was shot…

At the same time, she also saw several unfamiliar images of events and people she has no knowledge about...

Suddenly seeing all those images, puts a tremendous amount of stress to Ellie that she knelt down and quickly looked inside her bag for something.

"W-Where are they!?" she exclaimed as she hurriedly searches her bag

She then pulls out a mentats box and consumes 1 pill before finally calming down…

"I need to keep my psyche in check…" she muttered as she calms herself down and continues on her way

A short while later, she arrives at the mart

 **Super Duper Mart:**

Ellie arrives at the old mart and begins her search for the sugar bombs.

Despite finding stimpaks, some buffout and a few mentats, she was dejected to find not even one box of sugar bombs

"...Are there even any Sugar Bombs left in here?" she muttered with a dejected voice

As she ponders on how she can complete her job, the sound of pitter patter began to echo around the old mart.

"What's that?" she thought as she looked around

She then spots a group of radroaches approaching her.

Immediately seeing the threat, she pulls out her pistol and begins to open fire on each roach.

She managed to kill 4 before the rest began to fly towards her.

"Oh great..." She said as she continues to shoot

She dodges the group of radroaches as they fly towards her with astounding speed

She continues to dodge and shoot the radroaches for the next few minutes...

After killing another 9 radroaches, she runs out of ammo as the last 3 radroaches continue to assault her

Acting fast, she quickly grabs a piece of wood on her left and a lead pipe on her right.

She quickly stood up and killed two of the radroaches as the last one lands on her belly and begins to move around her body.

"Get off, you piece of shit!" Ellie exclaimed as the radroach begins to bite her in different places

After a while, she manages to grab the radroach and flung it across the aisle.

As the radroach recovers and resumes its flight towards Ellie, the young woman quickly reloads her pistol and ends the life of the mutated insect.

With the threat gone, she checks on her wounds and then injects herself with the stimpak she found.

She then notices the closet door is open and proceeded to investigate the area.

As she crept closer, she readied her pistol

She breached the closet and found only the dead body of a wastelander.

"Poor bastard..." she said as she checked the body

To her amazement, she found 5 boxes of sugar bombs hidden in the person's bag.

"Wow... Must be my lucky day" she muttered

With her objective complete, she made her way back to Megaton.

 **Craterside Supply; 40 minutes later:**

Ellie returns to Moira and proceeds to give her the items she needed.

"Oh thank you" Moira said with delight "And as promised, 150 caps!"

"Thank you" Ellie replied as she receives her payment

Just as she was about to leave, Ellie notices one of the items Moira was selling…

"Is that a Varmint Rifle?" She asked

"Why yes" Moira replied "I got it from a couple of traders a few days ago"

"How much is it?" she asked

"200 caps" Moira replied

Ellie felt a chill go up her spine as she looks at her money, 150 caps…

She gives a disappointed sigh before leaving

"Wait" Moira said as Ellie opens the door

"Since you helped me with my experiment" she said "I'll give you a discount, 100 caps, I'll even throw in a few boxes of ammo and this scope."

Ellie was surprised to hear Moira not only offer a discount but also a couple of other items that would normally cost a lot of caps...

"Are you sure about this?" Ellie asked nervously

"Yeah I'm sure" Moira replied in a casual tone "Call it as a 'thank you'"

Ellie pondered for a while until she finally said "...Deal"

And with that, Moira gives Ellie her new gun

"Thank you" Ellie said

"Happy hunting!" Moira said as Ellie exits the store.

 **The Wasteland (Near Farragut West Station); 4:30pm:**

Ellie sets up a campfire inside one of the destroyed buildings… And finished cooking the mole rat meat she hunted a few minutes ago...

As she ate the mole rat meat, she began to see vivid images that even she could not recognize…

 **Flashback 1:**

Ellie found herself in some sort of lab… The place was surrounded by tubes and stasis chambers…

She then turns around to see an unfamiliar man standing in front of her and another woman standing next to her

"We got the funding we need..." the unfamiliar man said "... The project is a sure go"

"That's good" the unfamiliar woman replied "Next on the agenda is to find volunteers for our research..."

"...I have an idea..." Ellie said

 **Back in the present:**

Ellie returns to reality moments later…

"What was that…?" She thought "…I don't remember that place or those people at all…"

She noticed that it was dark outside...

"Must have dosed off..." She thought

Suddenly, she heard something from a distance… Someone had stumbled into the building?

Not knowing whether it was hostile or not, Ellie prepared herself for a fight…

As the footsteps drew closer, she looked through a hole in the floor and saw a raider. Knowing full well of the danger, she prepares her pistol.

About a minute later, as the source of the footsteps was only a few feet away, Ellie quickly went against the doorway and attempted to grab the man through the doorway…

Upon grabbing the individual, Ellie quickly threw him into the room and readied her pistol but the man recovered quickly and he swung his lead pipe at her.

Her reflexes saved her when she used her arms to block the lead pipe…

Despite being able to resist the damage, Ellie dropped her pistol which prompted her attacker to continue his assault on her.

As he continues to swing his lead pipe on her, Ellie, surprisingly, managed to grab the lead pipe.

Seeing his weapon was taken, the man quickly draws his pistol but before he could aim it, Ellie quickly lunges at her assailant but he struggled and managed to pick up some rubble and hit her in the head with it.

Staggering at the damage she took, the man prepared to shoot her.

Surprisingly, she was able to recover quickly and lunge at the man again, this time, she managed to pin him to the floor.

As the man continues to struggle to escape Ellie's grip, the young woman finds her pistol just inches away. As she reaches for it and the man does the same. Ellie knew that she won't be able to reach the gun unless she moves her body but in doing so, the man would be able to escape her grip.

She decided to take a gamble and lunge towards the gun. The man quickly stood up but was immediately shot in the head by a quick moving Ellie.

With the man dead, Ellie searched his belongings and found several items that piqued her interest, a medical brace, some stimpaks, a psycho and a few boxes of 9mm ammo.

"I could use these…" she said "…one more reason to get to Fiore sooner"

She then puts out the campfire and barricades that one doorway and proceeded to sleep.

The next day, Ellie wakes up, undoes the barricade and entered the subway system below.

 **Subway system (Farragut Station):**

As Ellie enters the dark subway station, she hears robotic footsteps.

Quickly hiding behind some rubble, she takes a peek at the source of the footsteps and sees a protectron as it spots a raider behind it.

"Tickets please…" it said

"Tickets?" the raider said "Fuck you!"

But before the raider could raise his gun, he was shot in the chest by the robot and falls to the ground, dead.

"Threat neutralized…" the robot announced

"Tickets…?" Ellie thought "…What's that robot talking about?"

She then looks around her current position but doesn't find anything...

Having no choice, she decided to sneak past the robot by going through the office.

As she quietly sneaks around the office, she heard a robotic voice say:

"Halt! Present your ticket, citizen"

"Oh shit..." Ellie said as she looks at the proctectron that spotted her

Quickly looking around, she sees a piece of paper on the floor.

Deciding to gamble again, she shows the piece of paper to the protectron.

For the next few seconds, all she heard was beeping sounds

Then the protectron said "Ticket analyzed… Thank you for riding with us… Please proceed to the platform…"

"Uh… yeah" she said as she wipes some sweat off her head "Damn… I must have a shit load of luck…"

 **Tunnels:**

As she traversed the tunnels of the subway, she hears the distinctive cry of feral ghouls.

She quickly turns her flashlight off and prepares her rifle as she crouches & hugs the wall just as a group of feral ghouls arrive.

Like a hunter stalking its prey, Ellie watched the ghouls' movements through her rifle's scope. Soon, they were merely a few feet away from her as they explore the subway ruins. Ellie kept calm and lowered her rifle.

But as the group was about to reach a safe distance from her, one of them suddenly turns around, growls and slowly walks towards Ellie.

She is now pressed with the predicament of either shooting the ghoul and alerting the other ghouls or staying silent but risk the ghoul getting too close to her, she had to do something and soon.

As the ghoul was only a few feet away, Ellie made the decision to shoot.

She fired a shot and the bullet landed on the ghoul's head but this decision caused the other ghouls to return and eventually, spot her.

As the ghouls charged towards Ellie, she fired her rifle and managed to hit 5 out of 6 of the charging ghouls.

When the last ghoul was only a few inches away, she fired her last shot but it missed.

As the ghoul was about to bite her, she held her rifle against it, prompting the ghoul to bite her rifle.

She struggled to shake the ghoul off of her rifle. But as the ghoul lets go of the rifle, she quickly hits it with the rifle's buttstock causing the ghoul to hit the wall.

But it quickly recovered and after giving out a snarl, it pounced at Ellie.

Dropping her rifle, she gets a hold of the ghoul's arms as the ghoul attempts to bite her face.

Amassing strength, she pushed the ghoul forward and pulled out her pistol and began to shoot its head and the ghoul dropped to the floor, dead.

As she looks upon the dead ghoul, she is suddenly begins to see images of stasis chambers, gunfights and an unfamiliar lab.

For some reason, she feels a sense of dread as she sees them.

She begins to hyperventilate but she soon calms herself down after taking another mentats pill

"Those images again..." she thought as she breathe heavily "...Why is this happening to me?"

After calming herself down once more, she continued her journey to Fiore.

 **Pennsylvania Avenue; 1:00pm:**

Ellie emerges from the subway tunnels and the light of the sun temporarily affected her vision.

She scours the ruins as she makes her way towards Fiore.

"I wonder what this place looked like before the Great War..." she wondered

 **Fiore; 1:15pm:**

Upon arriving at the town, Ellie is greeted by a familiar face.

"Ellie!" He said with a happy tone "Nice to see ya again!"

"Hey Polonsky" she replied with a smile "Been a while. Mind if we continue this chat in my house?"

"Sure" Polonsky answered

 **Ellie's House, Fiore:**

Polonsky and Ellie take their seats in the living room…

"How have you been?" Ellie asked

"I'm fine but fuck that" Polonsky replied "I heard the NCR took the Purifier! I thought you were dead…"

"I managed to escape the prison caravan" Ellie replied "Now I'm a free woman again! Hahaha!"

Polonsky gave a sigh of relief and said "That's a relief... So what's your plan now?"

"My job's not done yet..." She replied "Not until the NCR's been kicked out of the Capital Wasteland!"

"Kicked out?" Polonsky said in a worried tone "Ellie, fighting the NCR is a tall order… Especially now that the Brotherhood is all but destroyed… Besides, who's gonna pay ya?"

"The NCR is still standing…" she replied as she clenches her fists "I still got some beef with em… So I'm gonna do what it takes to bring these pieces of shit down! Even if it means fighting legions of those bastards myself!"

"Whoah there" Polonsky replied as he tries to calm Ellie down "Slow down there, sister. How exactly do you plan on destroying the NCR?"

"Well uh…" She replied nervously

"You don't have a plan, do you?" Polonsky said with a disappointed tone

"Sh-shut up!" Ellie replied with a flustered face

Polonsky gives a disappointed sigh and says "Look, I suggest you lay low until this whole shit storm blows over…"

"You don't get it" Ellie replied in an angry tone "This is not just gonna 'blow over'! The NCR's gonna keep on taking lands as if it's their own until someone stops them! Somebody has to have the balls to stop these bastards!"

"Ok, ok… I understand" Polonsky replied "But fighting the entire NCR army on your own is kinda suicidal. I suggest you try and garner support"

"Alright fine…" Ellie said "Anyway, for now, do you have a drawer slide?"

"Drawer slide?" Polonsky wondered "Uh... No but maybe ya can ask the junk shop if they have some…"

"I got it. Thanks Polonsky. I'll be right back" Ellie replied as she made her way to the junk shop

 **A few minutes later:**

After buying the items she needed, Ellie retreated to her room and began to build something in her workbench while Polonsky waits in the living room...

A short while later, Ellie emerged from her room while wearing two armguards.

"Armguards?" Polonsky wondered

"Not just any kind of armguard" Ellie said as she flicks her wrists, which prompt the device to unleash the blades hidden inside both armguards.

"Whoah…" Polonsky said in amazement "…Where did you learn to build something like that?"

"I dunno" Ellie replied with a straight face

"You dunno?" Polonsky said in confusion "How can you NOT know?"

"I just dunno where I learned to build this…" Ellie replied "I just know how to build one…"

"Right…" Polonsky said in a confused tone "Cool as this looks, what's the use of two small hidden blades?"

"Covert assassinations" she replied

"Covert assassinations?" Polonsky replied "You imagine yourself as an assassin now?"

"You can never be too careful..." Ellie said "Besides, these are useful weapons especially for someone who knows how to use em"

"And you know how to use them?" Polonsky said in a confused tone

"Yeah..." Ellie replied with a straight face

"Let me get this straight..." Polonsky said in a sarcastic tone "...You don't know where you learned how to build one but you know how to build and use these things... Interesting story, Ellie. What's next, you got super powers or something?"

"Shut up" Ellie replied

Polonsky chuckled for a bit and said "Anyway, what are ya gonna do now?"

"For now" Ellie replied "I'm gonna rest here until I can figure out my next move..."

"How about Canterbury Commons? " Polonsky suggested "The Merchant Caravans may have some useful info."

"That could work" Ellie replied "Know anyone from Canterbury Commons?"

"Yeah..." Polonsky answered "When you get there, find a resident named Derek Pacion. He's an old friend of mine"

"Ok" Ellie replied "Thanks for the info"

"But the town's pretty far..." Polonsky added "... You planning on using the surface route?"

"I'm not planning on taking the surface route" Ellie replied "We got NCR patrols in the surface, my best bet is the underground subway"

"Yeah…" Polonsky replied "But it's full of feral ghouls"

"I'd prefer ghouls over the NCR any day" Ellie replied

"Alright fine" Polonsky replied worriedly "As if I can stop ya but be careful out there"

"I will" Ellie replied "I don't plan on dying til those NCR bastards get the fuck out of this wasteland!"

"That's uh... Reassuring..." Polonsky said in a worried tone


	3. The Merchant

"Where am I…?" Ellie thought to herself as she notices that she is in an unfamiliar wasteland...

Although she was conscious, she had no control over her movements…

"Am I dreaming…?" She thought as she notices other individuals wearing power armor as they marched through the unfamiliar territory…

"What am I wearing?" Ellie thought as she saw herself wearing the same kind of power armor "Also, what am I doing…?"

Ellie tried to remember anything that could match up to what she was seeing but failed… She could not remember ever being in that place or even wearing power armor in her entire life…

Eventually, she spots a small village in the distance…

Taking off her power helmet, she grabbed a pair of binoculars and began to scout the vicinity.

The village seemed to be a peaceful farming community, filled with the smiles and laughter of the villagers.

As Ellie puts down the binoculars, she turns towards her companions.

One of them nodded at her and she nodded back

But as they stood up, everything suddenly turns black…

 **Fiore; Ellie's House**

 **2 days later:**

Ellie wakes up as the light of the sun touches her eyes.

"Another one…" She muttered while still being half-awake

Ellie rose from her bed and began to get dressed for her upcoming journey…

It took a good 10 minutes before the young mercenary was ready for the day

Stepping outside her house, Ellie proceeds to Polonsky's house to say goodbye before leaving on her journey…

 **Polonsky's House**

Ellie arrives at the doorstep of her old friend's home.

Despite being built under the foundation of a destroyed apartment, it was good enough for the young man…

She knocks at the door waiting for her friend to answer.

"Polonsky?" She said as she continues to knock on his door, with each subsequent knock getting louder "You awake?"

"Hold yer shit…" Polonsky replied with a sleepy tone "…I'm coming"

The door then opens and Polonsky steps outside to greet his friend, despite being awoken from his slumber…

"Morning!" Ellie said with an optimistic tone

Still feeling a bit sleepy, Polonsky said "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Yeah" Ellie replied with a straight face "It's about 7am…"

"Kinda early don't ya think?" Polonsky replied

"No" Ellie answered

Polonsky gave a disappointed sigh and after stretching his arms, he was fully awake…

"So you're headed for Canterbury Commons?" Polonsky asked

"Yeah…" Ellie answered "Can't waste any more time here"

"It's only been 2 days since you arrived" Polonsky said

"Even so" Ellie answered "I got a mission to accomplish"

"Yeah, yeah" Polosnky replied lazily

"So about your contact at Canterbury Commons…" Ellie said

"You mean Derek?" Polonsky answered

"Yeah…" Ellie replied "…How can I find him?"

"He's the Town's chief…" Polonsky replied "You could say he's the mayor so just ask around and you'll find him"

"I got it" Ellie replied with a smile "I'm off then, thanks Polonsky"

As Ellie turned her back and began to walk away, Polonsky stopped her

"Wait!" he uttered as he reaches his right arm to Ellie

Turning around, Ellie asked "What is it?"

"If Derek refuses to help ya just ask him 'Is Nothing sacred?'" Polonsky said "He'll most likely reply with yes which is yer cue to say 'How about Free thought?'"

"What is this?" Ellie wondered "some sort of secret bro code or something?"

"You could say that…" Polonsky replies "You know usual merchant shit…"

"Right…" Ellie said teasingly "Is there something else you're not telling me, Polonsky?"

"What…?" Polonsky wondered as he tries to decipher what Ellie meant

About 10 seconds later, he decoded her message and with a flustered face said "OH HELL NO! It's not like that!"

"Sure it's not…" Ellie replied as she winks at her friend

"Don't you have to go somewhere or something?" Polonsky replied

Ellie simply chuckled but she was still a bit dumbfounded by the 'bro code' Polonsky told her.

Nevertheless, this was Polonsky talking so she could let it slide…

"Well, see ya!" Ellie said as she waves good bye

"Be Careful" Polonsky said with a serious tone "Don't do anything stupid"

"Don't worry" Ellie replied as she flicks her wrists, releasing her hidden blades and with a smile, she continues "I can handle myself"

 **Metro Subway Tunnels; 11:05am:**

As Ellie neared Farragut Station, she hears gunfire from the distance, along with the loud snarls of feral ghouls…

Responding to the sound of battle, Ellie runs towards the source. She then notices a couple of feral ghouls by the escalator.

Hiding behind some debris, Ellie brings out her varmint rifle and fired shots at the ghouls' heads.

She counted 5 kills before a small group of people emerged from the floor above; it was a NCR patrol…

Seeing the NCR troopers caught the young mercenary by surprise as she further conceals herself in the debris…

Annoyed, she could only mutter:

"What's an NCR patrol doing here!?"

She crept slowly, hoping to eavesdrop on the conversation of the patrol units and finding out their intentions…

"Nothing but feral ghouls here…" one soldier said with a disappointed tone "You sure the intel is solid?"

With a deep voice, the other soldier replied "I dunno and I don't care but orders are orders so quit your whining and move out…"

The NCR squad then turns left, traveling north from Ellie's position

As the squad disappears into the dark tunnels of the subway system, Ellie could only sit there and wonder what those soldiers were talking about…

Just as Ellie sat there to ponder on what she had heard, a figure slowly approaches the young mercenary…

Hearing a distinctive snarl, Ellie jumps to the side, avoiding the feral ghoul that was about to grab her…

She tried to grab her rifle but realized that using her firearm may attract more feral ghouls or worse, arouse the suspicion of the, still nearby, NCR squad.

With no other option, Ellie decides to use her new hidden blades on the feral ghoul.

Like a sumo wrestler preparing for the initial charge, Ellie observed the feral ghoul's movements…

Just that, the ghoul lunges at Ellie. The young mercenary responds by crouching and subsequently, grabbing the ghoul by the arm.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ellie points her arm towards the ghoul as she pulls the creature towards her. With a flick from her wrists, the hidden blade is unleashed and pierces the ghoul in between the eyes…

With the NCR squad gone and the threat eliminated, Ellie proceeds to the surface…

On the way, she notices two heavily damaged protectrons…

"Ti-Ti-Ti-Ti…" was all the protectrons could utter…

Ellie could only stare in disgust as she knew that NCR squad was responsible for this…

She soon opens the steel gate towards the surface and continues her way towards the town…

 **Capital Wasteland; a few minutes later:**

As Ellie walked the barren wasteland, she hears gunfire from a distance…

Stopping by a hill, she witnesses a squad of NCR soldiers battling an albino radscorpion.

The soldiers relentlessly unloaded bullets upon the creature but the mutant insect hardly flinched from the bullets and using its pincers, managed to decapitate one soldier and stab another using its poisonous tail.

The soldiers were clearly outmatched and they needed help!  
Ellie was now placed in a predicament, should she help these soldiers or should she leave them to die?

"They're NCR after all…" She muttered nervously "…No! I won't help them!"

The screams of pain and cursing reached Ellie's ears as she tries to walk away…

Her conscience was screaming at her to help the poor souls but Ellie maintained her original decision...

"No…No…" she kept muttering to herself like some sort of mantra "No... They're NCR..."

"SHIT!" shouted an NCR soldier as he runs out of ammo

Scratching her head in frustration, Ellie shouted "ARGH! Fuck it!"

As the radscorpion was about to kill another NCR trooper, Ellie leapt from her position on the top of the hill and with a flick from both wrists, she plunged both of her hidden blades upon the radscorpion's body as she lands on top of it.

But even this was not enough to stop the creature, and it soon began to shake Ellie off of its body.

Retracting both blades, Ellie jumped off the creature and quickly drew her pistol and began to shoot the mutated insect's eyes…

With its eyes shot, the insect stepped back and began to shriek in pain as it swings its claws and tail around.

Ellie took this opportunity to lunge towards the insect and, with the flick of her right wrist, stabs the insect on top of its many eyes… The insect shook a bit before finally dying…

The 3 remaining NCR soldiers then approached Ellie and thanked her for saving them…

Ellie simply brushed them off and walked away…

"Wait!" said one of the NCR soldiers

"What do you want?" Ellie said with an irritated tone

"I, uh…" the NCR soldier said nervously "Can I get your name at least?"

Ellie raised both of her eyebrows and said "Huh? You mental or something?"

"No…" the NCR soldier responded "I just want to know your name ma'am…"

"Well my name's kinda confidential" Ellie responded "So my answer is no!"

Disappointed, the NCR soldier merely responded with an 'ok' and returned to his squad as Ellie walks away and continues her journey towards Canterbury Commons…

"There's a lot of NCR patrols lately…" She muttered

 **2 hours later:**

Ellie was nearing her destination when she, once again, spots another NCR patrol…

"Another one!?" she said in frustration "This is the 10th Patrol squad today! Why are there a lot of em!? Even in the subways I can't escape these assholes!"

She continues to walk, pretending to not notice the NCR patrol…

 **Canterbury Commons; 4:00pm:**

Ellie finally reaches the merchant town and wasting no time, she immediately began to look for Polonsky's friend, Derek.

She spots a tall middle-aged man wearing a cowboy hat.

Spotting Ellie, the man approaches her and says:

"Well hello there! Haven't seen you around here… Must be a traveler…"

"Uh… Yeah…" Ellie replied "Do you know a person named Derek Pacion around these parts?"

"Oh that's me!" Derek replied with an optimistic voice "What can I do for you, little lady?"

"Oh" Ellie replied "I just have some questions to ask you…"

"Ask away!" Derek replied

"Ok then" Ellie replied "So, why are there a lot of NCR patrols lately?"

"Haven't you heard?" Derek answered "There's been an increase in insurgent activity lately so; the NCR tightened their patrols around the region"

"Insurgent activity?" Ellie muttered to herself as she ponders for a moment

"Yeah" Derek said "Ever since that battle in the Jefferson Memorial a few weeks back, a couple of people have begun to attack NCR patrols and caravans… I'd be careful if I were you... Don't want getting caught up in that shitty mess..."

"You have any information on the insurgents?" Ellie asked with enthusiasm "Do you know where I can find them?"

"Whoah there, lass" Derek said as he tries to calm the young mercenary down "I have no clue as to anything pertaining to these rebels… In fact, our caravans are also victims of these attacks all because we also supply the NCR camps and bases around the region…"

Ellie looked at Derek the entire time he was saying that and she knew that the man was lying or at least, he was hiding something…

He knew something but refuses to tell her…

"What should I do?" Ellie thought to herself "How can I prove to him that I'm anti-NCR too?"

As Ellie ponders on her options, Derek interrupts her train-of-thought and says:

"Well, I'm a busy man so I should get going…"

"Wait!" Ellie said as she tries to stop Derek

"I told you" Derek replied "I don't know anything, so, if you'll excuse me"

As Derek was walking away, Ellie suddenly remembered something Polonsky told her that morning…

She called out to him, "Derek!"

Hearing his name, Derek turns around and says "For the last time, I don't know anything"

Swallowing her anxiety, the young mercenary built up the courage to say "Is nothing sacred?"

There was nothing but silence for the next few minutes… Ellie could only hope that those words could prove to him that she is trustworthy…

Derek's face becomes serious. He ponders to himself for a moment then turns to Ellie and says:

"Yeah… In case you haven't realized yet, the world's pretty much fucked up…"

"But" Ellie replied nervously "How about Free thought?"

Derek smiles as Ellie said those words…

"We can't talk here…" He said "Come inside"

"Yes!" Ellie thought to herself as she follows Derek to his home

 **Derek's house; 4:35pm:**

Entering the mayor's house, Ellie sits down at the couch while Derek brings out two bottles of Nuka-Cola for them to drink.

He then sits on the opposite couch.

"So…" Derek said "…You're Polonsky's friend?"

"Yes…" Ellie replied "…You know him?"

"For a long time…" Derek replied "…Best buddies, me and him. So how is he?"

"He's doing fine…" Ellie replied "He works as a repairman for a lot of different items in Fiore…"

"Fiore huh…" Derek said "… Only been there once, good to hear that good ol' Polonsky is doing fine but I guess talking about my past isn't really why you were looking for me now, weren't ya?"

"Y-Yes!" Ellie replied nervously

"Don't worry" Derek replied with an optimistic tone "Now that I know who you are, I can divulge some info on ya but not all"

"Ok…" Ellie replied "…So what do you know of the recent insurgent activity?"

"Not much…" Derek replied in a serious tone "After the fall of the Purifier, surviving Brotherhood members and Anti-NCR wastelanders banded together to form pockets of resistance around the region… But they're scattered and aren't really united…"

"Why not?" Ellie asked

"They lack communication with each other, that's one thing" Derek replied "The other is that they lack someone to unite them…"

"So they lack leadership and equipment?" Ellie asked

"Pretty much" Derek replied "I tried to supply some of them with the best weapons and equipment that my fellow traders could find but my acts are limited because the NCR's keeping an eye on me & my caravans and these taxes. Don't even get me started on how shitty it is!"

Ellie pondered for a moment as she tries to digest the information she had just been fed…

There are several pockets of resistance around the Capital Wasteland but they lack leadership and proper equipment… Ellie knew she would never fit the role of leader as she was always a 'lone wolf', preferring to work alone.

"Uniting these guys is gonna be a real piece of work…" Ellie thought to herself

The room was filled with silence for a few minutes as Ellie thinks of several solutions to this problem… She then looks at Derek and says:

"Do you know where the nearest batch of rebels could be hiding?"

Derek pondered for a moment to remember the location of a band of rebels he met…

"Try the Temple of the Union, up north" Derek replied "Find a guy named Johannes. He may be able to help ya with your problem."

"Right" Ellie said enthusiastically "Thanks for the info! I'm off"

"Wait!" Derek said as he stops Ellie before she even opens the door "You're too excited about this… When you get to the Temple, don't forget to say the passphrase 'Nothing is sacred'. That should be enough for those rebels to, at least, not shoot you on sight…"

"Right…" Ellie replied smiles embarrassingly "…Thanks again"

"Be careful" Derek said "Going against the NCR is gonna be one hell of a fight… So don't get careless…"

"I know…" Ellie replied as she opens the door and leaves…

Finally alone, Derek stand up, cleans the table of the Nuka-Cola bottles and walks towards his safe.

Opening it, he brings out a letter that was sent to him a few days back….

The sender, Polonsky. As Derek rereads the letter, he couldn't help but chuckle and smile…

"Ah Polonsky…" Derek muttered to himself "She is as reckless as you say… But will she be our savior or our destroyer…?"


	4. Sons of Liberty

**Canterbury Commons; 5:45pm:**

Leaving the Derek's house, Ellie looks at her watch to see the time.

"Almost 6…" she muttered "…Should I…?"

"I suggest you don't…" Derek said as he emerges from his home "… NCR patrols are in the area and they have a strict 6pm curfew… Get caught and you may be shot on sight…"

"The NCR…" Ellie said with disdain "…Damn it… I can't walk peacefully around the wasteland anymore?"

"Afraid not" Derek replied "Rebels are crawling all over the place… So the NCR's just doing their job to make sure they don't shoot any 'innocent people'"

"Innocent person…" Ellie said with a sarcastic tone "…yeah right…"

Having no choice, Ellie decided to stay the night…

"Where can I stay the night?" she asked

"There's a motel we recently built for travelers right there" Derek replied as he points to a big structure made of salvaged scraps of metal "But be prepared to pay a modest 15 caps a night…"

"Right…" Ellie said "Thanks again"

"No prob…" Derek replied as he observes Ellie as she made her way towards the motel

Later that night, Ellie's dreams are once again filled with another 'memory' that she does not even recognize…

 **Flashback:**

 _Metal… Looking up, down and sideways, one thing you'd see for sure was metal frames..._

 _Opening her eyes, Ellie found herself in an unfamiliar room… It looked like something you'd see in a vault but Ellie has no memory of being a Vault Dweller or even exploring one at that…_

" _Huh…?" Ellie thought to herself as she observes that her body has shrunk to the size of a 7 year old girl "…A Vault?"_

As Little Ellie rose from her bed, she heard a familiar voice call to her, "Ellie!"

The metal door opens, revealing a little boy, about the same age as her, greeting her…

"Hey ^%&#" the little girl said

 _Ellie was surprised that she could not hear the name of the boy…_

" _What?" She thought to herself "…Who is this boy? Why can't I hear his name?"_

"Ellie!" The little boy said to her with enthusiasm "You ready for today's game?"

"^%&#..." the little girl said nervously "…I'm kinda nervous about today… What if I lose?"

"Again…" Ellie thought to herself "Why can't I hear his name…?"

"Oh don't worry Ellie" the little boy said as he tries to comfort her "I'll protect ya!"

"But…" the little girl replied nervously

"Oh fine…" the little boy said "…I was gonna give this on your birthday but since you're so nervous, here"

The boy then hands over a familiar pendant to the little girl

"What is it?" the little girl asked

"It's a good luck charm I made" the boy answered "It will make sure that you win today's game! So are you ready?"

The Little girl smiles as she stares at the pendant… She could feel how much the little boy cared for her…

"Thank you…" she said with a warm smile

The boy was caught off guard with her beautiful smile… He was taken a back a little...

"Y-yeah…" he said with a flustered face "… C-Come on! Let's go before we're late!"

Smiling, the little girl replied "Yeah! Let's do our best!"

The girl then holds the boy's hand and they happily walk towards the door…

 **Canterbury Commons:**

Ellie returns to reality as her 7-year-old counterpart exits the door…

For a few minutes, the mercenary just laid there, as if she'll remember what those dreams meant…

Grabbing her pendant, Ellie could only ask herself, "Why is this so important to me?"

The pendant she's holding in her hand looked the same as the pendant that boy gave her in her dream… Does this mean something? Did she forget an important memory?

"Impossible!" She said to herself "I remember clearly my past, my childhood… I still remember the food my mom makes and how I always loved them… My friends and even my favorite pastime... I-"

But as she tries to remember the rest of her memories, Ellie began to feel a very painful headache and, once again, unfamiliar images and events began to flash before her eyes…

But this time, she could hear screams and gunshots!

Hyperventilating, Ellie quickly searched her bag for her mentats…

After taking the pills, the young mercenary slowly calmed down…

Putting the palm of her hand in her forehead as she gasps for air, she could only wonder why is this happening to her…

"Ever since that day…" Ellie muttered to herself as she decides to retire to bed

 **The next day:**

With her equipment prepared, Ellie begins her trek to the Temple of the Union.

Nearing the mayor's house, she sees Derek stretching his arms by the front door.

The young mercenary called out to the middle-aged mayor, "Derek!"

Responding to the call, Derek turns around and greets the young mercenary with a 'good morning'.

"Thanks for your hospitality" Ellie said

"No problem" Derek replied "Stop by Canterbury Commons again if you can"

"I will" Ellie replied as she waves good bye

As the young mercenary walks away towards the wilderness of the wasteland, Derek could only stand there and stare at her, wondering what the future holds…

 **Temple of the Union:**

It didn't take long for Ellie to reach the vicinity of the temple.

It was a derelict… Not even a single sign of life…

"Is anyone even living here?" she wondered to herself as she searches the temple…

The gate was open and all the rooms were empty… All she found were a few rooms, some filled with makeshift beds…

Other than that, she couldn't find anything...

Ellie was left to wonder why the place was empty…Was Derek even right when he said that this was the place where those rebels operate?

As she continues her search, she comes across a familiar insignia…

It looked similar to the square and compasses symbol of the Freemasons…

And once again, images began to flash in her mind…

Acting quickly, Ellie grabs her mentats pack and tries to consume a pill…

To her horror, the pack was empty and she had no choice but to find a way to endure her current ordeal…

Just that, a young man walks up to her. He had a sinister look in his face and Ellie was shaking in fear as she sees the man…

"Who are you…?" she said as she continues to shake uncontrollably

The man simply smiles back and says "Don't you remember me?"

"Huh?" Ellie wondered

Without warning the man lunges at Ellie…

The young mercenary tried to fight back but she was too shaken to give a proper resistance…

In no time, the young man managed to wrap his hands around her as he begins to slowly choke the life out of her…

"Do you remember what happened that time…?" the man said with a sinister tone "What you did to me, ELLIE!"

"What are you talking about!?" Ellie replied as she vainly tries to loosen the man's grip on her

Ellie was in distress… Who was this man who wanted her dead? Why is he doing this? What was he talking about? What did she do to him?

As her body was nearly out of oxygen, Ellie, somehow, found the strength to fight back and kicked her assailant in the groin.

The man jumped back as Ellie gasps for air.

Knowing she was still in danger, Ellie quickly drew her pistol and prepared herself for a fight…

But to her surprise, the man disappeared…

"Where'd he go?" the young mercenary asked herself

She puts down her pistol and tries to compose herself…

Maybe it was because it took her a while to escape the man's grip but the young mercenary suddenly felt tired and before she knew it, she fell asleep…

 **A while later:**

Ellie wakes up to the sound of someone cocking a gun…

As her vision clears, she finds herself in the same spot, surrounded by 5 men.

All 5 were armed with R91 Assault Rifles and all were pointed at Ellie…

"What do we have here?" said a tall young man as he emerges behind the 5 men "Now, what's a little lady like you doing here?"

Ellie kept silent as she observed each person… They were not wearing any kind of NCR issued armor or fatigues and they didn't look like NCR-hired mercenaries… Could these be the rebels Derek was talking about or are they just random raiders?

"I'll ask again" the tall man said with an intimidating tone "What the fuck are you doing here? Don't you know this is my turf?"

"They definitely sound more like raiders…" Ellie thought to herself

"Are you deaf?" the man said "If you don't answer my question on the count of 5, I'm gonna splatter your pretty little head all over the floor!"

With that, the man began to count…

Feeling threatened, Ellie's better judgment was telling her to kill these bastards but her conscience said otherwise… Should she kill these supposed raiders? Or should she try to, at least, be diplomatic?

Who was she supposed to listen to? Kill or not kill?

She had to make a decision and soon!

As the man had already counted to 4, Ellie swallowed her anxiety and quickly said "Nothing is sacred!"

Hearing those words, all 6 men were shocked... How did this random wastelander know of those words? The tall man then walks closer, kneels down in front of Ellie and says, with an intimidating tone:

"What did you say?"

"Nothing is sacred" Ellie replied with a straight face

The man was silent for a few seconds before continuing:

"Where did you learn those words?" the tall man asked

"Canterbury Commons" Ellie replied "From Derek Pacion"

The tall man then clenches his right fist and raises it up… The men then put their weapons down and the tall man stood up, offering his hand to the young mercenary…

As the man helped Ellie to her feet, he touched the familiar insignia and a secret compartment in the floor opened, revealing a set of stairs going downward…

 **Underground bunker:**

Ellie walks down the flight of stairs and notices that the place looked like the place from her dream…

"What is this place?" she asked as her eyes continue to wonder

"This used to be a vault…" the man replied "… Now it's our HQ…"

"HQ?" Ellie wondered

"If you've been talking to Derek" the man replied "You should already know that there have been pockets of resistance all over the place…"

"So you're the rebels Derek's been talking about?" she said

"That's right" the man replied

"Then you know someone named Johannes?" Ellie asked

"That'd be me" the man replied

Eventually, the group reaches a giant circular steel door. Johannes simply looks at one of his men and nods. Knowing what he should do, the man walks up to the console and proceeded to enter a code. Not long after, the giant door opens, revealing the entrance to the vault…

 **Vault cafeteria 11:00am:**

It was lunchtime and Johannes offered Ellie some food.

Hungry the young mercenary accepted the offer and she found herself eating a Salisbury steak with some Ice Cold Nuka Cola. Opposite to her, is Johannes, who was eating some instamash with Purified water as his drink…

For the next few minutes, it was almost quiet as the two individuals were busy eating their respective meals…

"So…" Johannes said as he breaks the silence "…Who are you?"

"I'm Ellie" she replies "I'm a mercenary"

"Merc huh… Johannes replied with a smile "Sorry about earlier, can never be too careful especially since the NCR's crawling everywhere…"

"It's ok" Ellie replied "That's what I want to talk to you actually"

"You want to join my outfit?" Johannes asked

"Not exactly" the mercenary replied "I want to unite all insurgents in the region and take the fight to the NCR"

Johannes laughed the second Ellie finished telling her idea

Flustered, Ellie angrily said "What's so funny!?"

Calming down, Johannes replied "Sorry… Those are some big dreams you have…"

"Wouldn't you want the NCR gone too?" Ellie replied

Johannes scratches the back of his head as he says "As much as I embrace that idea, reality says otherwise… Since most of our groups were made separately, we don't have a means to communicate with each other…"

"Have you even tried establishing contact?" Ellie asked

"You think I didn't?" Johannes replied "I tried sending a few of my most trusted men to do the job, weeks ago… None of them returned…"

"So that's why you can't unite to form one big fighting force?" Ellie asked

"That's not all…" Johannes replied "We also lack equipment… Take my boys for example… We're only armed with R91 assault rifles and our 'armor' is just a bunch of Merc outfits we scavenged somewhere… Basically, compared to the NCR, we're armed with firecrackers and wearing Brahmin skin for armor… I haven't even mentioned the countless vertibirds and vehicles the NCR has and we don't even own a single one…"

"So what does your group do?" Ellie asked

"We mostly do raids…" Johannes replied "Freeing prisoners, sacking NCR caravans… Basically, we're like raiders…"

Ellie pondered to herself for a while… The situation was far more complicated than she thought… What should she do? Should she do all these tasks by herself? But before the conversation could continue, one of Johannes' men arrives. His head was covered in sweat and he was gasping for air…

"What's wrong?" Johannes asked the man

"Sir" the man replied as he continues to gasp for air "We spotted the prison camp…"

Johannes' face then turns serious. Turning to Ellie, he says "Sorry Ellie, looks like duty calls. You wanna come along?"

"A chance to make the NCR's life worse" Ellie said with enthusiasm "Count me in!"

With that, Johannes mobilizes his men for the impending fight…

 **NCR Prison Camp, MDPL-13 Power Station; 4:00pm:**

Ellie and the others position themselves in a hill overlooking the camp…

"This is a prison camp?" Ellie asked

"Yep…" Johannes confirmed

"What's your kick in raiding this camp?" Ellie asked

"There's are several innocent people imprisoned there" Johannes said "Accused of either false crimes or not being able to pay the NCR's ridiculously high taxes…"

"What's your plan?" Ellie asked

Johannes does not answer and simply brings out a pair of binoculars and began to scout the camp…

A few minutes later, Johannes puts down the binoculars and with an annoyed expression in his face, turns to Ellie & his men and says:

"Our usual in-and-out ambush won't work here…"

"Why not?" Ellie asked

Handing over the binoculars to her, Ellie looked at the place Johannes pointed for her and she saw several men with very odd uniforms… They wore masks and have what looks like a trench coat over their armor…

Recognizing the soldiers, Ellie mutters "NCR Rangers?"

"Yep…" Johannes said "the Rangers are gonna be tricky… They're better trained and are better equipped… Freeing those prisoners is gonna be a real challenge than before…"

As Johannes tries to think of a proper strategy, Ellie says:

"Let me try something…"

"What do you mean?" Johannes asked

"Let me take care of the guards…" Ellie says "Just point to me where the prisoners are and I'll take care of any guards that get in our way!"

Johannes was puzzled with Ellie's suggestion… It didn't look like she had any silenced weapons with her and he has no idea to what skills she had…

With a skeptical look in his face, Johannes said "You don't have any silenced weapons on ya… And I don't know your capabilities… If you start making noise, the entire base is gonna be on our asses…"

"Don't worry, I got these…" Ellie said as she shows off her hidden blades

"That's…!" Johannes muttered as he seemingly recognized the weapons…

Hearing what Johannes muttered, Ellie asked "You know what these are?"

"No…" Johannes replied with a straight face "…So you're gonna use those to kill the guards? Any guarantee it's gonna be an instant kill? Remember, we can't afford making noises…"

"I know…" Ellie replied with a smile "Trust me"

"Alright…" Johannes said as he points to Ellie to a large building "They're inside that building… The NCR built makeshift cells so it's not really hard to open the locks…"

Ellie then salutes Johannes as she leaps from the hill and made her way towards the camp…

 **A few minutes later:**

A NCR ranger decided to patrol the back of the smaller building alone…

Ellie, who was hiding behind the corner, prepared to neutralize the guard.

As the guard neared the end of the building, Ellie quickly breaks cover, grabs the guard by the shoulder and with one flick of her right wrist, stabs him in the neck… Ellie then proceeded to drag the body into the corner and make it look like the guard was simply dozing off in the corner…

She then proceeded to creep closer to the power generators. Observing the area, she see two rangers guarding the door and another two patrolling around the compound while the rest of the guards are inside the numerous guard tents in the area…

Infiltrating the building proved to be harder than Ellie originally thought…

"What to do…?" Ellie thought to herself…

As she ponders on what to do, she hears something snarl behind her…

Looking behind her, she sees a Yao Guai behind her… As the mutated bear pounces at her, Ellie's reflexes kick in and she rolls to the side, avoiding the claws of the beast. This subsequently led the NCR Rangers seeing the Yao Guai and opening fire on it… Curiously, the bear ignored the Rangers and focused on Ellie.

Using the situation to her advantage, Ellie lured the Yao Guai to the spot where she killed the NCR Ranger, a few minutes back. She then climbs the wall of the building as the Yao Guai tries in vain to reach her… She then observes most of the guards fight the mutated bear… Using some rope she found Ellie lassoes it to the metal towers and jumped across… Climbing to the top of the tower, Ellie jumped from one metal tower to another until she reached the last tower, which was still a few meters away from the main door and was guarded by two rangers, who have yet to notice the mercenary…

To make the situation worse, the sounds of gunfire stop… Knowing she doesn't have much time, Ellie jumped down and began to sprint towards the guards. Noticing Ellie, the guards readied their weapons.

"Hey!" one of them said "You're not supposed to be here!"

But before they could do anything, Ellie flicks her wrists and plunges her hidden blades into the throats of both guards… As she was running as she did the assassination, the bodies hit the wall of the facility, leaving behind a huge amount of blood in the wall…

But Ellie had no time to clean up the blood and she simply dragged both bodies inside before any of the guards could see them…

She positioned one body in a desk and positioned the other in a makeshift bed but not before assassinating another guard and doing the same to his body…

She then proceeded to the Prison cells…

Seeing Ellie, some of the prisoners were suddenly filled with so much energy

"Help us!" they said

The prison was filled with so many people… Men, women and even children… The NCR really did imprison anyone who they deemed to be a threat… Ellie was disgusted with the scene as the prisoners' cries for help began to sound louder…

"Shh…" Ellie said to them "Keep your voices down… I'm gonna get you out…"

She then proceeded to pick the locks of each and every cell door…

 **A few minutes later:**

Ellie managed to pick all of the prison doors open… As she rallied the prisoners, she heard the gunfire outside…

"What's going on?" one of the escaped prisoners asked

"Must be Johannes…" Ellie said

Spotting an armory, Ellie turns to the prisoners and said:

"Anybody here good with a gun?"

Almost immediately, about 20 people out of the 40 prisoners volunteered…

She then proceeded to give the prisoners the weapons the NCR armory had to offer…Ten Service rifles, five 9mm submachine guns and five Hunting rifles.

"Ready?" Ellie said to the crowd as she cocks her varmint rifle

"YEAH!" they all shouted

Ellie then kicks the door open and the prisoners burst out of the room and began to open fire on the NCR troops.

Ellie was right. Johannes' men were fighting the NCR to the left of the power station, the NCR troops made the mistake of sending most of their troops to that side as Ellie took advantage of the situation to surround the enemy forces.

The NCR troops were surrounded on both sides as the combined forces of Johannes' rebels and the escaped prisoners continue their ferocious assault.

This combined force proved to be too much for the NCR and after losing about 10 men, 5 of which were NCR rangers, the remaining NCR soldiers surrendered…

With the prison camp secured, Johannes' men began to take whatever weapons and equipment the camp had to offer…

As Ellie watches the scene, she is approached by a tall bearded man, he looked like he was in his early 40s.

"Thank you…" he said to Ellie

Ellie smiles and says "Yeah… So what's your plan now?"

"I don't know…" the man replied with a dejected tone "In fact; many of us don't even know what we'll do now…"

"Why?" Ellie asked

"Many of us lost everything after we were arrested…" the man replied "Some even lost family members… Not to mention we're wanted men and women now…"

Putting her fingers in her chin, Ellie began to ponder something as she turns to Johannes, who had been standing next to her.

"Johannes" she said "Can your base accommodate 40 more people?"

Johannes looked at the man and said "Where are you getting at?"

Ellie then turns to the man and says "Since most of you hardly have anything left, why not join the fight against the NCR?"

"Fight the NCR?" the man said with a nervous tone "Is it even possible to beat them?"

"Look what happened here today…" Ellie said as she points around the, now, rebel occupied camp "…The NCR is not unbeatable… We just need the numbers and the equipment… So what do you say?"

The man pondered for a moment and after a few minutes, he looks at Ellie and with a smile, says:

"I may not speak for everyone here but… I'm in!"

Ellie then turns to Johannes and asks "How about you, what's your say?"

Johannes ponders for a minute then says "Meh… Why not? The more the merrier…"

The man then smiles and thanks Ellie and Johannes before walking back to the other prisoners to announce his decision…

"Looks like this little rebellion of your may come true, after all…" Johannes said to Ellie with a smile

"It should…" Ellie replied "After all, this land belongs to us…"

"So what do you want to call our little outfit?" Johannes asked

Ellie pondered for a moment and suddenly remembered a pre-War book she read a few years back and said "Sons of Liberty… We're the Sons of Liberty…"

By the end of the day, all 40 prisoners decided to join the Sons of Liberty...


	5. Retaliation

**3 weeks later:**

After the destruction of the NCR prison camp in the MDPL-13 PowerStation, the Sons of Liberty began to form a presence in the Eastern part of the region…

Inspired by their resolve, other rebel groups became more aggressive in raiding NCR-related targets…

However, the NCR has not turned a blind eye on these turn of events…

 **Raven Rock; NCR Army Regional HQ:**

An elderly general eats Brahmin steak coupled with some wine in the base's lounge.

Opposite to his position is another man, who was wearing a familiar robe. He was eating the same Brahmin steak but coupled with scotch.

"So…" the NCR general said "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

The man simply smiles and says "Nothing really… I just heard that the 'Great' General Lee Oliver was having trouble keeping the citizens in line…"

"Not true" the general quickly replied with a sharp tone "I got rangers and troopers all over the place… Even if there are rebels, we can easily destroy em with superior military tactics and strategy"

"Is that so?" the man replied with a taunting tone "That's not what I heard…"

"What do you mean?" Oliver replied

"Well my informants tell me that a small rebel group managed to raid one of your prison camps…" the man replied with a leer "A prison camp guarded by your oh-so-famous rangers…"

Oliver didn't utter a word… He was clearly annoyed at the man's statements. 'How did he know that?' is what one would think he thought…

"I believe they're called the Sons of Liberty…" the man continued

"Is that all you came to tell me?" Oliver said with an annoyed tone "…If so, then leave before I call the guards on you"

"Oh my dear general…" the man said "…I came here to offer a little 'business deal' with you, your president has already agreed to the terms but I leave to you the final decision"

Oliver was intrigued and said "What business deal?"

The man simply smiles as he hands over some documents and schematics to the general.

Seeing one of the documents, the NCR general couldn't help but give a sinister smile…

 **Near Old Olney; 1:00pm:**

Ellie, Johannes and 5 other armed rebels observe a NCR caravan from a small hill, over looking the road leading to the deathclaw infested ruins…

"What's the intel on this caravan?" Ellie asked

"Same shit as always…" Johannes replied "…food, ammo, and if we're lucky, some weapons…"

Using her binoculars, Ellie notices that the caravan is only protected by 2 NCR rangers armed with Service Rifles…

"That's odd…" Ellie said "…Only two guards for this one… Although they're rangers, you'd think these caravans would have a tad bit more protection, don't ya think?"

With a serious look on his face, Johannes said "…There's something wrong here… Wanna abort?"

Ellie ponders to herself… She can't deny that there's something odd about this convoy… She could only theorize that somewhere in the area, is a counter-insurgent squad ready to attack them when they strike…

"So?" Johannes asks "…What do you think?"

For a few minutes, Ellie was quiet, trying to assess if it was worth the risk…

Eventually, she escapes her thoughts, looks at the young rebel and says:

"Let's go… I think we can take on whatever shit those bastards throw at us"

With that, the two commanders signal the other 5 rebels to begin the attack…

With one rebel, armed with a hunting rifle, staying behind to provide sniper cover, the other rebels move in to intercept the NCR caravan.

As the caravan nears an intersection, Ellie signals the rebels that she'll handle everything. She then stands up and begins to run towards the guards.

As one guard looks behind him, Ellie pounces at him and stabs his neck with her hidden blade.

In response, the other guard began to shoot at Ellie. Agile, the young mercenary simply rolled to the side. The man fired several shots that were easily dodged by the mercenary…

"I-Impossible…" the ranger said as he tries to fire again but finds out, to his horror, that he emptied the magazine…

"What shitty luck you have" Ellie said as she lunges at the man as he reaches for his pistol.

With both guards neutralized, she signals the other rebels that the area was cleared… Despite the threat being gone and the supplies just there for the taking, Ellie still couldn't shake this feeling of danger but she decided to ignore it…

As the rebels began to raid the supplies, one of them notices a peculiar pattern in the barren wasteland… As he investigates the weird pattern, he hears several guns cocking…

Sensing danger, the rebel shouts "Danger!" before being shot in the head by an invisible enemy.

With one of their own dead, the rest of the rebels raise their weapons, in an attempt to find the threat but there was no sign of life in the vicinity… Just an ever expanding barren of land…

"W-Where are they?" another of the rebels said with a nervous tone as she falls victim to the same threat…

With the danger clear as crystal, the rebels decide to huddle and created a makeshift cover using the wagon. They then heard several shots ring past them.

"The hell is going on!?" Johannes said with an annoyed tone

"HELL IF I KNOW!" Ellie shouted as she stands up to see where the fire was coming from.

"GET DOWN, YOU IDIOT!" Johannes shouted at Ellie

But it was too late as the young mercenary was shot in the area of her left shoulder… Was she shot in the heart?

The young mercenary then falls to the ground, motionless.

"Hey!" Johannes said as he checks up on Ellie "You okay?"

Ellie's perception of reality shifts as she loses consciousness…

 **Flashback:**

The young mercenary opens her eyes at the response of someone calling her name, "Ellie"

She sees a familiar man, the same man who tried to kill her before.

"Ellie" he said with a gentle voice "You alive?"

"Of course I am" Ellie replied "So how do I use it?"

"Just concentrate" the man replied "Mind over body as they say"

"…Okay…" Ellie said nervously

She then closes her eyes as she concentrates…

"What the fuck am I doing?" Ellie thought to herself "Where is this place?"

She then opens her eyes and was surprised with what she saw…

All inanimate objects were covered with a grey aura while everyone in the lab had a blue aura around them…

"Wow…" Ellie said in amazement "…What is this…?"

The man smiles as he sees Ellie's face.

"It's called 'Eagle Vision" he replied "Looks like you have a natural gift here"

"No kidding…" Ellie muttered as she continues to be amazed by her new found ability…

"With that" the man said "You can easily identify a friend and a foe… To put it simply, enemies have a red aura around them while allies have a blue aura. Pretty easy right?"

"Amazing…" Ellie says as she smiles in awe

 **Back to the present:**

Ellie suddenly wakes up as she hears several familiar voices shouting: "WHERE THE FUCK ARE THEY!?"

Opening her eyes, Ellie sees the situation has taken a turn for the worse as she sees another dead body of a rebel next to her…

Johannes notices Ellie waking up.

Surprised, the rebel leader said "ELLIE!?"

"What?" Ellie wondered

"Not that I'm sad you're alive" Johannes replied "But how are you alive?"

"What are you talking about?" Ellie wondered

Johannes didn't utter a word he simply pointed at his left shoulder…

Doing the same, Ellie saw a bullet hole in her armor…

"A gap in my leather armor?" she thought as she examines the hole…

She was surprised to feel her skin beneath the hole but there was no injury, not even a burn mark… She was fine…

"I'm…fine…?" She said in confusion

As she tries to understand what happened to her, the flurry of bullets shook her back to reality.

"WHAT DO WE DO!?" one rebel shouted

Ellie then approaches them and says:

"I got this"

Annoyed, Johannes says "What do you plan to do this time!?"

Ellie simply smiles and closes her eyes as she begins to concentrate…

Upon opening her eyes, Ellie sees the world in a whole new light… Her fellow rebels are surrounded with a blue aura. Remembering her dream, she takes a peek and sees 4 people covered by a red aura.

"Found em" she said as she brings out her pistol.

Breaking cover, the young mercenary opens fire and lands several bullets on one target. As the enemy begins to fall to the ground, Ellie grabs the body and uses it as a human shield as the other soldiers opened fire on her. She throws the body aside as she stabs another with her hidden blade and then, once again, uses the body as a human shield as she quickly closes the distance with her 3rd target.

Upon reaching her 3rd target, she draws her pistol and shoots the enemy soldier in the head. Her final target unloaded an entire Service Rifle magazine on her but her human shield blocked all of the bullets.

Out of ammo, the enemy soldier drops his rifle and attempted to use his sidearm but the young mercenary acted quickly and lunged towards him.

In response, the enemy draws his combat knife and prepared to fight the young mercenary in hand-to-hand combat. For a few seconds, the two fighters stared off, waiting for one to make first move… Ellie was in her 'sumo wrestler' stance as she carefully watches the movements of her enemy...

Just that, the enemy soldier lunges at her and swung his knife left and right. Ellie managed to dodge all of his swipes as she carefully looks for an opening

She then blocks the knife with her left armguard. Acting quickly, the enemy soldier drew his pistol in an effort to shoot the young mercenary at close range. But before he could properly aim it at her, Ellie used her right arm to move the enemy soldier's arm to the side, making him miss his shot.

Not giving up, the enemy then pulled his right arm back and attempted to stab Ellie while she 'had her guard down'.

To his surprise and horror, Ellie blocked his knife but it was not her armguard that did the job, she blocked the knife using the palm of her own left hand… Horrified, the man could only look at mercenary's merciless eyes…

"How are you alive?" He said in a horrified tone "I shot you… In the heart…"

Ellie simply smiled and said "You shot me? Then allow me to return the favor…"

Ellie then pulls her left hand out and sucker punches the man in the face… The man drops to the floor face first but he was still alive and conscious…

As the man was reeling from the damage he took, Ellie stood before him, ready to end his life…

Knowing it was the end, the man could only utter "What are you?"

Ellie simply flicked her right wrist and said "I'm just a regular merc trying to make a living in this world…"

She then plunged her hidden blade into the man's throat…

With the threat gone, Ellie closes her eyes in an attempt to 'deactivate' her eagle vision…

Opening her eyes, her vision was back to normal… She then looked at the bodies of the enemy soldiers she killed and she was surprised to see that they were wearing some kind of black suit…

"What are these?" She asked

Johannes proceeded to examine the bodies for any clues. A few minutes later, he stood up with a nervous look on his face…

"What up?" Ellie asked

"These suits…" Johannes said "These are Chinese Stealth Armor…"

"Stealth Armor?" Ellie wondered

"Pre-war Tech…" Johannes replied "Makes anyone who wears it invisible… Only a few were ever developed… Where did the NCR get this kind of tech?"

"Pre-war tech huh…" Ellie muttered "…This is a problem, isn't it?"

"The NCR's learning some new tricks…" Johannes said "Looks like we're gonna need some new toys and more manpower if this rebellion's ever gonna dent the NCR"

Worried, Ellie could only reply "Yeah…"

"By the way…" Johannes said as he interrupts Ellie's train-of-thought "…How's your hand?"

"Huh?" Ellie wondered as she remembers what transpired a few minutes ago

Ellie opened her fist and saw that her left hand was completely healed. It was almost as if she was never injured in the first place.

Just like when she was shot, no trace of the wound was left…

Johannes simply gave a serious face as he notices Ellie's condition…

"Just as I thought…" he muttered silently

"What's happening to me?" Ellie said with a nervous tone

"Not a clue" Johannes said "But at least whatever it is, it's benefiting you. So no harm done and no use stressing over it…"

"Y-Yeah you're right…" Ellie nervously replied

"Alright!" Johannes said "Let's head back to base! The NCR's got some new toys so we're gonna need a countermeasure!"

"Right!" The surviving rebels replied enthusiastically

 **Temple of the Union; Sons of Liberty Underground HQ**

 **5:00pm:**

Johannes walks into Ellie's room as he sees her preparing for her next trip

"You ready?" Johannes said

"Yeah…" Ellie replied as she double-checks her equipment "Can you handle everything while I'm gone?"

"Please" Johannes confidently replied "I managed to create this rebel outfit on my own and survived a few weeks without you. I'm not gonna start becoming dependent on you, now won't I?"

"I guess you're right" Ellie replied with a chuckle "...So where's my next destination?"

"Vault 112" Johannes replied "A group of rebels known as Lyons' Pride is taking refuge there"

"Lyons' Pride?" Ellie wondered

"They were one of the best squads in the Brotherhood of Steel" Johannes replied "Especially after the Lone Wanderer joined their ranks"

"I've been meaning to ask" Ellie said with a curious tone "Who is this 'Lone Wanderer'? Been hearing a lot of rumors about him during the time I was stationed in the Purifier…"

"The Lone Wanderer…" Johannes explained with a smile "The hero who made the Capital Wasteland into a much safer place. Because of him, this entire region flourished and grew… That is until the NCR came…"

"Wow…" Ellie said in amazement "He must be something to be able to do that. Do you know his name?"

"Only a few people still remember him" Johannes answered "Some even forgot his gender… Although I know that he's male, I never got to know his name…"

"That's too bad…" Ellie said with a dejected tone "By any chance, do you know where I can find this 'Lone Wanderer'?"

"Sadly no" Johannes replied "He disappeared in 2297… Nobody's heard from him since…"

"Damn…" Ellie muttered in disappointment "…Oh well… So where's this Vault 112?"

"It's located in a place called Smith Casey's Garage" Johannes answered as he hands Ellie a familiar device "Here, take this"

Ellie takes the item and sees that it looked like a giant watch

With a confused face, she asks "What is this?"

"It's called a Pip-boy 3000" Johannes answered "It's a very useful device used by people who lived in these vaults… I found a spare and thought that you'd have more use to it than I would…"

Ellie puts the new device on and began to look at the many features that the device could offer

"Wow…" she said with amazement "…This is awesome"

"Glad you've taken a liking to it" Johannes replied "It's got a Geiger counter, radio and most importantly, a map. Basically, it's a must have for a traveler!"

"No kidding…" Ellie replies as she continues to be amazed

A few minutes later, Ellie and Johannes stand at the Vault's gigantic metal door.

"You better find a place to crash before 6pm" Johannes said "You wouldn't want to get some unwanted attention from the NCR"

"I got it" Ellie replied "I'm off and thanks for everything!"

"Oh and when you reach Vault 112" Johannes said "Give them this holotape"

"Right!" Ellie answered followed by a salute

"Good luck!" Johannes replied as he closes the vault door

 **Johannes' Quarters; a few minutes later:**

Johannes sits in his office chair as he checks his terminal for anything new…

His eyes flicker as he sees that he has a new email. He opened it and began to read the contents.

His eyes squint as he finishes reading the email… He then stares at the familiar insignia in his room.

 **Minefield (Capital Wasteland); 5:45pm:**

As Ellie reaches the destroyed suburb, she quickly notices that something was odd and with her reflexes, she narrowly dodged a laser. The young mercenary looks around to see where the shot came from but her normal eyes could not locate her target.

The unknown enemy then fires another shot, this time using normal bullets, which she narrowly dodges again.

Taking cover behind the remains of an old house, Ellie closes her eyes and concentrates.

And once again, her 'eagle vision' activated and she began to scour the ruined suburb for her enemy… She then spots several tall and bulky figures in front of her…

"Super Mutants?" she thought to herself as she prepares for a difficult fight

As one of the them reaches Ellie's line of sight, she 'deactivates' her 'eagle vision' to see her foe and is surprised to see not a super mutant but a NCR squad, with each trooper wearing T-51b Power Armor. It had to be NCR because the breastplate had the insignia of the double-headed bear…

"Why are they shooting at me?" Ellie thought as she checks her new Pip-Boy for the time "5:50!? It's not even curfew time yet!"

As the NCR troopers closed in, Ellie quickly climbed the destroyed house to the roof. Despite the house looking structurally unsound, Ellie easily climbed the derelict building to the roof. She then 'activates' her 'eagle vision' once again and sees only 3 figures in front of the house. There was no one else around the area.

Ellie smiles as she returns to her normal state and slowly sneaks to the edge of the roof. Amazingly, none of the NCR troopers noticed her and are now scouring the suburbs for her. One is armed with a Laser Rifle, outfitted with several upgrades including a scope and a laser accelerator. The second one is armed with a standard Service Rifle, outfitted with a reflex sight. And the last one is armed with an Chinese Assault Rifle, outfitted a grenade launcher.

Initially, Ellie thought of using her hidden blades but the power armor may be too thick for her blades to handle and decided to find an alternative tactic. She then notices the 3 soldiers split up, this may be her chance. She then stalks the trooper armed with the Chinese Assault Rifle.

Like a ninja, she skillfully utilizes her abilities in parkour, which aided her greatly in stalking her target. The lone trooper then stops behind another destroyed house and kneels down to investigate something in the ground.

Ellie knew this was her chance and she drops down to the ground, without arousing the suspicion of the NCR trooper.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ellie flicks her right wrist and with a quick burst of speed, she grabbed the trooper's helmet and pulled it off.

Before the NCR trooper could react, Ellie plunged her hidden blade in between his eyes. The NCR trooper dropped to the ground, dead.

Ellie then proceeded to strip the trooper of his armor and wore it. Ellie was surprised that she remembered how to properly wear power armor, as she had never worn one before save for that dream she had, and she managed to snuggly fit into the suit. She then grabs the dead trooper's weapon to complete her disguise. Checking on the weapon, she finds that the rifle is loaded with 7.62mm Armor Piercing rounds.

"Whoah…" Ellie said to herself "Such firepower you boys have"

Now disguised as one of the troopers, Ellie walks back to the destroyed house, hoping to meet with the other 2 troopers.

A few minutes later, the two troopers arrive

"Any luck finding that woman?" The Laser rifle equipped trooper asked

"Negative" the other trooper answered

"Negative on mine too" Ellie answered in a deep male voice

"Damn" the Laser Rifle trooper said in disappointment "Search the surrounding area, she couldn't have gone far!"

As the two troopers turn their back on Ellie, she raises her rifle and fired one shot at the trooper holding the laser rifle. The bullet easily punches through the armor of the helmet and pierces the soldier's skull. As his body drops to the ground, Ellie quickly runs for cover.

In retaliation, the other trooper opens fire on Ellie and later, hides behind a destroyed car as he continues to open fire on the young mercenary, who was hiding behind a destroyed house across the street. It was a stalemate, with each soldier exchanging fire but failing to hit one another. For the next few minutes, this was the situation that enveloped Ellie.

Soon, the firing stopped and everything was silent. Ellie stood against the wall of the destroyed house, waiting for something to happen. She glances at the car and saw nothing… Something was wrong.

Ellie quickly tried to use her 'eagle vision' once again but the power helmet made it difficult to see, which forced her to remove it in order to use her ability. She looks around as quickly as she can as she notices that the enemy trooper was not behind the car. By the time she found the trooper, he was just around the corner. He had traveled across the street and crept slowly through the side of the house to catch her from behind. Ellie quickly crept closer to the man, in an attempt to catch him through the corner of the building.

As the man drew closer, Ellie quickly breaks cover but before she could pull the trigger, the man grabs her left arm and raises the rifle. A struggle ensues as the two vied for the opportunity to fire their respective rifles on the other and in that same struggle, both individuals drop their rifles. With no other option, both contenders fought in hand-to-hand combat. The man lunges first, attempting to sucker punch Ellie. But the mercenary dodges the enemy's fist and retaliates with a right hook. The man blocks it with his left arm and proceeds to kick Ellie's legs.

The young mercenary jumps back and does an axe kick with her right leg. The trooper grabs her right leg and proceeds to throw her. Despite being thrown, Ellie quickly regains her balance and began to do a flurry of kicks on the trooper, who manages to block most of her moves.

Luckily, she lands a kick on the man's stomach area. As the man kneels down, Ellie unleashes a flurry of punches on the man's helmet. This disoriented the enemy soldier as he tries to punch her like a drunk. Ellie easily dodges the blow by ducking and quickly moves behind the man. She then grabs the helmet and pulls it off. Almost immediately, she grabs the man's head and like a steering wheel, she snaps his neck.

After the fight, Ellie takes off her power armor and proceeds to loot the troopers for any valuable items.

Among the items she looted are about two hundred 7.62mm armor piercing rounds, a handful of medical supplies, which include stimpaks, mentats & buffouts and a holotape, with a label that says 'For your commanding officer only'.

 **Minefield; 7:45pm:**

As Ellie takes shelter inside one of the destroyed houses, she plays the holotape she looted a few minutes earlier.

"Lieutenant Bigsby" A male voice said "We have reason to believe that a Brotherhood remnant squad is in your jurisdiction. Intel suggests that a squad called Lyons' Pride is hiding somewhere in the southwestern part of the region, around the area of Smith Casey's Garage. This squad is well-equipped and well-trained. Exercise Caution when dealing with them."

"At least" Ellie muttered to herself "I know for sure there's a rebel group there…"

Tired from the day's events, Ellie closes her eyes and proceeds to sleep.


	6. Big Trouble in Big Town

**Capital Wasteland; Near Germantown Police HQ**

 **8:30am:**

The young mercenary spots a large fortification in the distance.

"A NCR outpost?" She wondered as she walks the other way "Better keep my distance…"

She then proceeded to the direction of where Agatha's House used to be, while avoiding the main road…

 **Big Town, Northern Gate; An hour later:**

 _*With the Super Mutant threat gone, Big Town became the safe haven it was rumored to be by the kids of Little Lamplight which enabled the small town to expand._

 _In the years prior to the NCR's arrival, Big Town was famous for its training courses which taught wastelanders how to properly handle firearms.*_

Ellie arrives at the outer edges of the town as she is stopped by a tall female teenager; she was wearing a merc troublemaker outfit and armed with a R91 Assault Rifle.

"What's your business here?" the teenager said with a threatening tone

"Whoah" Ellie responded as she tries to calm the teenager "I come in peace"

"Are you NCR?" the teenager asked as she points her rifle towards the young mercenary

"No I'm not" Ellie replied

"Why should I believe you?" she said as she cocks her weapon

"Believe me" Ellie said as she turns around to show the rebel insignia painted in the back of her leather armor.

It was a picture of two rifles, with their barrels intersecting one another, and a sword, whose tip overlaps the barrels of both rifles.

"Isn't that…" the teenager said with her eyes wide open "The symbol of the Sons of Liberty?"

"Yes it is" Ellie replied "I'm part of that rebel group"

The teenager frowned and said "Fine… Come with me"

The young mercenary then proceeded to follow the teenager into the town

 **Big Town Main Hall; a few minutes later:**

With a rifle pointed on her back, Ellie walks into the town's main hall. There, she is met by a tall dark-skinned woman, who appeared to be in her early 50s. Apart from that, she appeared to be wearing an all-red jumpsuit.

"Red" the teenager said "I spotted this suspicious person in the town's vicinity. What do you think?"

The woman then gazes at Ellie, looking at her from head to toe.

Noticing the young mercenary's new Pip-Boy, Red eyes widen as she says

"What's that on your arm?"

"This?" Ellie said as she checks her left arm "It's a Pip-Boy"

"You're a Vault Dweller?" Red asked

"Uh no" Ellie replied "This was given to me by my friend"

"Your friend huh…" the woman replied with a serious look

"Red" the teenager interrupted "She claims to be part of that rumored rebel group, the Sons of Liberty. She has the insignia on her jacket but I dunno…"

Red eyes narrow as she walks closer to Ellie and says "You're part of that rebel group?"

"Yes I am" Ellie replied calmly

For about 2 minutes, there was nothing but silence as Red stares at the young mercenary.

"You good with a gun?" the mayor asks with a smile

Confused with the sudden mood change, Ellie could only mutter "Huh?"

"Well you see, we got a little problem" the mayor replied

"Wait a minute" Ellie said in protest "I'm in a hurry. I just happen to pass by your town and-"

"Well tough luck, kid" Red responded "We're not really trusting of strangers recently"

"Why?" Ellie asked

Before the mayor could respond, a middle-aged man bursts through the doors. He was drenched in sweat and was gasping for air as he leans on the wall.

"Red…" he said as he continues to pant

"Timebomb?" the mayor answered with a concerned looks in her face "What's going on?"

"The…The..." the man replied as his panting continues

"The what?" Red asked "Keep calm and tell me what's going on"

Taking a few seconds to compose himself, the man quickly stands upright and says "NCR troopers are at the West gate!"

Like the sound of a gunshot in a quiet neighborhood, Red's expression turn to shock as she says "WHAT!?"

With a serious look in her face, Red turns to Ellie and after pointing a finger towards the mercenary, she says "You! Come with me!"

"Huh?" Ellie uttered

"You too, Longshot" Red said as she faces the teenager

"Right" the teenager responded

Having no choice and with a rifle still pointed at her back, Ellie had no choice but to come with them to the West Gate.

 **Big Town, Western Gate:**

As the young mercenary nears the gate, she notices several teenagers, armed with a variety of weapons from R91 Assault rifles to NCR standard Service Rifles… In line with that, each is wearing a different type of armor with some wearing merc outfits while others are wearing leather armor.

The trio arrives at the west gate as tensions begin to rise.

Red quickly approaches another middle-aged man, armed with a Hunting Rifle and is wearing reinforced leather armor.

"What's the situation, Flash?" the mayor asked in a serious tone

"Not good, Red" Flash responded "These bastards just keep coming back! A few shots have already been fired!"

"Again with this…" Red muttered in a dejected tone "…It's their 20th attempt already. Don't they know the meaning of the word 'no'?"

"I say we shoot em down!" Flash said with conviction "Let's show these NCR assholes that we're not pushovers!"

"No!" Red sternly replied "We can't afford picking a fight with the NCR right now! Remember our 'problem'!"

"Damn..." Flash said "...Fine but we have to do something about this shit storm..."

"I got this..." Red replied

As Ellie observes the unfolding scenario, a deep male voice echoes through a megaphone. It was coming from the other side of the gate.

"Red!" the voice said "I know you can hear me!"

The trio then climbs the steps on the side of the wall as the male voice continues to call Red.

Reaching the top, Ellie notices an estimate of 4 squads of NCR Troopers. In the middle was a tall NCR trooper holding a megaphone.

"You can keep coming back if you want but my answer's the same!" Red said in a loud voice

"So you still refuse to peacefully annex to the NCR?" the trooper asked

With a squint, Red shouts "My answer still stands!"

"Are you sure you're in any position to say that?" the trooper replied "How are you food, water and medical supplies holding?"

Red didn't respond but her face showed how irritated she was.

"I'll say this again" the trooper said "Surrender Big Town to the NCR and I'll see to it that your little town sees a bottle of purified water again"

The NCR troopers then retreat as Ellie stares at them with disgust.

She turns to Red who was trapped in a predicament.

 **Big Town Main Hall; a few minutes later:**

Back in the same room she was about an hour ago, Ellie didn't waste anytime to ask "What's going on here?"

Red sat down and with a serious look in her face, began to tell the young mercenary of the events that transpired in her town.

 **Flashback:**

You see, kid. 20 years ago, this town wasn't always a safe haven… back in 2277; this place was a death trap and almost a ghost town… If the Super Mutants fail to either kill or kidnap you, the raiders will come then the slavers will take whoever's left alive... One day, someone happened to arrive in town and no one would have guessed that he'd be able to rescue two people who were captured by Super Mutants… I was one of those people… But the story doesn't end there. After the rescue, he taught all of us how to properly handle firearms and even provided some weapons that he found inside the place where he rescued me. And with his help we managed to fend off attacks from both Super mutants and raiders. Big Town finally became the safe haven that we were led to believe while we were still little kids living under the caves of Little Lamplight…

After the Sons of Liberty raided that NCR prison camp, this gave hope to a lot of people. Using that as an inspiration, a lot of rebel groups became more aggressive in their insurrection against the NCR and several towns and cities across the Capital Wasteland began to defy the NCR, Big Town was one of them…

Of course the NCR didn't like that… Just days before that raid, Big Town, like many places around the wasteland, was occupied by the NCR and used as a staging ground for a lot of their operations across the region. When news came that a small rebel group managed to raid a NCR prison camp, defended by NCR Rangers no less, well… That was enough for us to pick up our guns again and push those bastards out of town…

In response, the NCR tried to use force to recapture the town but we always manage to push em back. Eventually, they discovered a weakness in our defenses… We depended on caravans and travelling merchants for supplies, such as ammo, food and medical equipment. Once the NCR found out about that, they cut off our supply lines… Its only been a few days but even I know that we can't last forever especially with a dwindling water supply. I've already begun to ration the water and food but that won't save use form starving in the coming weeks…

 **Back to the present:**

"Is that why I got that kind of welcome?" Ellie asked

"Sorry about that" Red replied "Everyone's been on edge lately… We need to find a way to supply the town or else, we have no choice but to submit to the NCR…"

Ellie pondered to herself for a while and said "How is the NCR cutting your supply lines?"

"They have checkpoints set around the roads leading to town…" Red said "But even if you destroy every last one of them, the NCR's just gonna rebuild them overnight…"

The young mercenary then begins to ponder a solution to the town's problem… If Red is right, then destroying these NCR checkpoints would be a waste of time & ammunition. Worse case scenario, the NCR may use the same tactic they used during the Battle of Jefferson Memorial.

It took a while but an idea soon pops in her head.

"I got it" she said

Red raises her dejected head as she hears the mercenary's words

"What are you talking about?" she asked

"You have a radio?" Ellie asked

Red then leads the young mercenary to an old pre-War ham radio. Ellie then begins to tinker with the machine.

A few minutes later, she begins to operate on it as she says "Echo do you read me?"

There was no response…

"What are you doing?" Red asked

The young mercenary doesn't answer and simply begins to slowly change radio frequencies.

"Echo do you read me? This is Blade" she said

It took a while but a voice finally came from the other end.

"Blade" the voice said "This is Echo. You're a tad bit early… It's only been a day…"

"I haven't exactly made it there yet…" Ellie said nervously

"What?" the voice replied

"Well…" Ellie continued "I'm in Big Town right now and uh…"

"And you just contacted me, all the while showing, whoever is in that room, the frequency of our radio…" the voice replied with an angry tone

"Come on, Johannes" Ellie said nervously "Give me a break…"

Ellie heard Johannes sigh before he said "…Fine so what do you want?"

"You know some people from Canterbury Commons right?" Ellie said

"Yeah…" Johannes responded

"You think we can use some of em to supply Big Town with ammo and food?" Ellie asked

For a few minutes, there was no response from Johannes' end…

"Johannes?" Ellie said "You still there?"

"I'm still here" Johannes responded "I think I can pull some strings but those caravans need to be protected by our men…"

"So what's the problem?" Ellie asked

"Did you forget yesterday's skirmish?" Johannes said

Remembering the events of the previous day, Ellie could only mutter "…Oh right…"

"Yeah… Who's to say that they won't raid OUR caravans?" Johannes said "We're already on edge with the caravans headed to our base…"

Ellie ponders to herself for a while then says "What if we disguise the caravan as another NCR convoy?"

"That could work…" Johannes responded "…But where are we going to get the equipment?"

"Leave that to me…" Ellie said "Just bring about 4 men here to Big Town"

"Alright…" Johannes said "Want me to go with em?"

"Yeah sure, why not?" Ellie responded "Anyway, head to Big Town. I'm gonna collect the materials you need, Blade out!"

Ellie then turns the radio off as she stands up and prepares to leave.

"Where are you going?" Red asked

"Where's the NCR checkpoint between here and the Temple of the Union?" the mercenary asked

Red then marks the location on Ellie's Pip-Boy as she asks "You sure about this?"

"I'm sure" Ellie replied confidently

"Need any help?" Red asked

"No" the mercenary responded "I can handle this on my own."

"Alright…" Red said

 **Hallowed Moors Cemetery; NCR Northern Checkpoint**

 **1:00pm:**

Ellie spots the NCR checkpoint up ahead.

Wasting no time, Ellie activates her 'eagle vision' and scouts the enemy position.

She counted 5 men covered with the red aura, which meant 5 targets. Two were guarding the road, one seems to be sleeping in the tent near the road, another seems to be using a workbench behind the tent and the last one is aimlessly walking in the church.

Sensing an opportunity, the young mercenary made her way towards the church before that lone guard could reach it. Using her skills in sneaking, she easily avoided detection and quickly reached the front side of the church.

Quickly going inside, she uses the podium as a means of reaching the wooden planks above. Once she was in position, she by the corner, shielded by the church's roof as she waits for her prey to get closer.

Seconds later, the NCR trooper walks into the church and begins to look around. The young mercenary hides herself further into the corner and hopes that the trooper doesn't look up.

As the guard made his way to the doorway, Ellie quietly positioned herself just above the trooper as he nears the doorway.

As he was about to exit the church, the mercenary leaps from her position and with her right hidden blade, she plunges it into the unsuspecting trooper's throat. With one down, she then proceeds to her next target: the trooper who was by the workbench.

As she checks the distance between her and her target, she notices that there is little cover, which meant that she could easily be detected if that man were to turn around. Deciding to take a risk, Ellie slowly walks over to the man, hoping he doesn't turn his attention elsewhere…

As she drew closer, she notices that the trooper was about to turn around. With adrenaline pumping almost immediately, Ellie ran towards her target. Hearing her footsteps, the trooper quickly faces her but before any words could escape his mouth, the young mercenary jumps and manages to cover his mouth with her left hand. As the two fell to the ground, Ellie quickly plunged her hidden blade into his throat. By the time the trooper hits the ground, he was already dead…

She then crept into the tent and, as expected, there he was, the sleeping trooper.

But to Ellie's surprise, he opens his eyes and sees the mercenary right in front of him.

He was dumbfounded at the first thing he saw after waking up… Ellie then smiles at him as she covers his mouth with her left hand and plunges her hidden blade into his throat.

"Shh… No tears just dream…" Ellie whispered to his ear as he tries to resist but fails.

With him dead, Ellie just had 2 targets left; the two men by the road.

It was almost too easy as she slowly walks up to the two unsuspecting men and, once she reaches striking range, unleashes both hidden blades at the same time and cuts deep into the throats of both men.

 **An hour later:**

Johannes and 4 other rebels arrive at the checkpoint with their rifles raised. They were expecting a fight but instead they were greeted by their friend.

"Hi guys" Ellie said playfully

"Uh… Hi" Johannes awkwardly replied

"Well" Ellie said as she shows the rebels the uniforms she looted "Here you are! Genuine NCR trooper outfits!"

"I'm not even gonna ask how you got this…" Johannes said "So you want some of my men to guard the caravans while wearing these uniforms?"

"No. I got a better idea" Ellie said "I need 5 men stay here and continue to act as if nothing happened… Not only will we secure a route for the caravans to enter Big Town, we can also gather some useful intel from the NCR… So long as we don't arouse suspicion…"

"Wow…" Johannes said in astonishment "…You're a better strategist than I thought… I guess I underestimated you…"

Ellie simply smiles as she takes those words as a compliment.

"Alright" Johannes said in an enthusiastic tone "Let's set up shop and start sending those caravans!"

 **Big Town Main Hall; 2:45pm:**

Ellie briefs Red of the situation and the mayor couldn't help but smile as she hears the good news.

"Not bad…" Red said "You really are part of that Rebel Group. Anyway, thanks again for helping Big Town, you don't know how much this means to us"

"No problem…" Ellie replied with a smile "…I'd do anything if it meant making the NCR's life harder."

"You really hate the NCR that much huh…" Red said

"Yeah!" Ellie replied "They're evil shitheads that destroyed the peace of this place! I'd kill every single one of them in a heartbeat if I could!"

Red then walks up to the young mercenary and says "Kid… There is no such thing as a totally evil organization… The NCR may be ran by a couple of douchebags but that doesn't mean everyone from the NCR is bad. I'm willing to bet that there are also people within the NCR that don't approve of what their government is doing…"

Unable to grasp the meaning of the woman's words, the young mercenary could only utter "What do you mean?"

Red simply smiled and said "You're still young. Just keep in mind that not everyone associated with the NCR is as evil as those goons who started all this… How old are you anyway?"

"24" Ellie replied

"Still young…" the mayor replied as she closes her eyes, as if trying to reminiscence an old memory, "You've got your whole life ahead of you so don't waste it…"

"I won't" Ellie replied

"Are you leaving?" Red asked

"Yeah…" the mercenary replied "I still need to get to Smith Casey's Garage…"

"Alright…" Red said "…Be careful out there…"

"I will" Ellie replied as she leaves the hall

 **Big Town Southern Gate**

 **3:15pm:**

Red accompanies Ellie to the southern gate as Longshot arrives.

"Hey" the teenager said "Sorry for earlier… I had to make sure you weren't working for the NCR"

"It's ok" Ellie replied "You were doing your job"

"Right" the teenager replied as she turns around and returns to her post

"Anyway" Red said "You should continue southwest from here. There's a place called Jury Street Metro Station. You should stay the night in one of the nearby buildings"

"Right" Ellie replied as she nods "Thanks again"

"Take care" Red said as she waves goodbye

As Ellie was about to continue her journey, she suddenly remembered another question she wanted to ask

"Hey Red" Ellie said "Do you know who was that person who rescued you from those Super Mutants?"

"To be honest, I never really got his name…" Red replied "…We all know him as the 'Lone Wanderer' but other than that, we don't have a clue! Try going to Vault 101 if you can, maybe you can get some info on him there since it was where he came from after all"

"Right thanks!" Ellie said as she waves goodbye and continues her mission.


	7. Lyons' Pride

**Vault 112 Entrance; 3 days later:**

Twisted metal, broken glass, body parts, blood… It was all over the place…

The sound of whistling bullets wakes the young mercenary from her deep thought.

The rebels, about 8 of them including Ellie, are pinned down just behind the Vault's main door as squads of NCR Rangers flood the area and begin hammering on their position!

"I'm seeing about 4 squads of Rangers out there!" a Lyons' Pride trooper, armed with a hunting rifle, said as she returns fire "How the hell did they get through!?"

"The area's compromised!" another female trooper, armed with a Assault Carbine, said "We need to evacuate!"

"How!?" A female trooper, armed with a R91 Assault Rifle, said "There's only 1 entrance!"

"The overseer's office!" the commander replied "Come on! It's better than sitting here! Kodiak, Coby, cover fire! Let's move Pride!"

"Right!" Everyone shouted as Kodiak and Coby open fire with their respective miniguns while slowly walking back.

 **Overseer's Room (a few minutes later):**

The rebels fortify their position by the Overseer's room, which only contained a single simulation pod, inside of which is the body of an old man.

"So how do we get outta here?" Ellie asked

"Like this" the commander said as he pushes a loose tile on the wall, revealing a secret hallway.

"Wow…" Ellie said "…Didn't know there was a secret passage here… Where does this lead?"

"Freedom" the commander said "Let's move! That door won't hold forever! We need to seal the door so Elysse, explosives! Let's go!"

"Right!" Elysse replied as she prepares her explosives

As the rebels evacuate, Elysse and the commander plant C4 around the secret door. Once the deed was done, both soldiers close the door and proceed to a safe distance before detonating the explosives, causing part of the tunnel to cave in, sealing the door.

"You sure there's a way outta here?" a male trooper asked "Cuz I don't wanna die in a depressing place like this"

"Don't worry" the commander said "I already explored these tunnels"

Having no other option, the soldiers make their way deeper into the vault's secret passageway.

All the while, Ellie was deep in thought.

"How did it come to this…?" the young mercenary thought to herself…

 **Flashback; the day after the incident at Big Town**

 **Jury Street Metro Station:**

Ellie opens here eyes and sees a mole rat sniffing at her head. Taken by surprise, the young mercenary quickly rises from her makeshift bed. The Animal wasn't hostile at all, in fact, it was very friendly as it sat there and stared at the young mercenary.

Curious, the young mercenary pulls up a stick of iguana bits and offers it to the creature. The animal happily eats the offered food.

Ellie smiles as she thinks to herself how fascinating this is…

Remembering her mission, she packs up and continues her journey to Vault 112, leaving the Mole Rat alone in the subway station.

 **Charnel House; 8:45am:**

The young mercenary arrives at the remains of a pre-War home… She stared at it for a while and began to see vivid images once again… Again, she is experiencing those visions… The sounds of screams, gunfire, explosions… Feeling as though gravity is pulling her down, the young mercenary desperately walks inside the charred house and tries to find a place to sit. Unfortunately, she collapses into the house's floor before she could reach a nearby bed…

 **Vision:**

"Over there!" a soldier wearing power armor shouted "Open fire!"

The soldiers then open fire with a variety of weapons, ranging from G11s to Plasma Rifles.

The young mercenary finds herself wearing the unfamiliar power armor she saw in a previous vision. Only this time, they are inside a vault and seem to be attacking the vault dwellers.

"This again?" she thought to herself "What the hell am I doing here?"

Another event she doesn't remember… What the hell is happening to her? She ponders over this as she sees the events that were unfolding… Apparently, she and a squad of soldiers were killing the vault dwellers, who were armed with 10mm pistols and were fighting a futile battle. One by one, the vault dwellers would be gunned down and even if their pistols hit their target, the rounds would simply leave a small dent on the power armor…

"W-What am I doing...?" Ellie thought in horror

As she says these words in her head, she finds herself staring down the face of a dead Vault dweller. You could see how terrified he was… She then notices a dweller crawling away from her and the other soldiers. He was bleeding and was desperately crawling away…

Ellie slowly walks up to him as he begins to hyperventilate while trying to crawl faster. Reaching the man, Ellie steps on his back. The man screams in pain as Ellie picks him up and puts him against the wall. He was shot in the stomach but was still alive. With a terrified look in his face, Ellie points her plasma pistol at the man's head and without mercy, pulls the trigger.

The young mercenary couldn't believe her eyes… She had just killed an innocent person, without a hint of mercy and to top it all off, his body melted into a puddle of green goo…

"No…No…" She thought to herself, trying to deny what she just saw

Her attention was then grabbed by a roar in the distance.

"There they are!" one of the soldiers said as he points his plasma rifle and begins to open fire.

Without hesitation, Ellie cocks her plasma rifle and proceeds to the source of the gunfight…

 **Some time later:**

Ellie finds herself in an unfamiliar room… Looks like she's inside a vault…

"How did I get here?" she thought

"Awake I see?"

Looking at the direction of the voice, the young mercenary notices a young woman wearing a Brotherhood Power Armor. Looking closely, the Brotherhood Insignia has a picture of a lion placed in the middle.

A thought suddenly came to her head as she asks "Are you from the Lyons' Pride?"

"Yes we are" the woman replied "and judging from your armor, you're part of the Sons of Liberty"

"Yeah…" Ellie answered

"Nice" she said as she gives the mercenary a thumbs up "the name's Dallas, Field Medic"

"Hey Dallas, what's the status on-" a man with a deep voice said as he enters the room "Oh. Looks like our guest is awake"

"Yep" she replied "She's stable… Looks like she just collapsed"

"Collapsed?" Ellie wondered

"Yeah" The man replied "Me, Vyse and Kodiak were in the area when we came across your unconscious body. After seeing the insignia, we knew we had to take you inside the vault."

"Really?"

"Yeah! That's the Sons of Liberty insignia right?" the man asked

"Uh…yeah…" Ellie replied

"We heard quite a lot about you guys" the man said "Oh right, my name is Maxson. Sentinel Arthur Maxson, leader of the Lyons' Pride."

"Maxson, huh…" Ellie said "Why does that ring a bell?"

"I guess it's because I'm the last descendant of the Maxson line, the founders of the Brotherhood of Steel" Arthur said "When I was a kid, a lot of people would say how 'great' my bloodline was and all that shit but I don't believe that. I'm only great because of the people around me"

Ellie smiles at the sight of this man's humility.

 **Pod room:**

 **An hour later:**

Ellie and the members of Lyons' Pride, a total of 8 people, gather in the room for a meeting.

"Alright guys" Arthur said "I'd like to introduce Ellie. A member of the Sons of Liberty. She came here to connect our ragtag group with the rest of the rebel groups and together, we'll kick some serious NCR ass!"

"Is she now?" a female member, holding an Assault Carbine, said "Arthur, how sure are you she's not a NCR spy?"

"Don't worry about that" Arthur said "I know how to tell the difference between friend and foe"

"That's not an answer" she replied "But I'll play along. If she does anything suspicious though, hope you don't mind but I'll land a bullet to her head, no questions asked."

"Go ahead" Arthur said with an upbeat tone

"Huh!?" Ellie uttered with a surprised look in her face

"Anyway, let me introduce to you the members of Lyons' Pride" Arthur said

* * *

 **Lyons' Pride Bio:**

 **Knight Dallas** **:** Female, 27 years old, Caucasian, main weapon: R91 Assault Rifle. Our Field medic, a genius when it comes to anything concerning the human or even a ghoul's body.

 **Knight Marina** **:** Female, 22 years old **,** Asian, main weapon: customized Hunting Rifle with a silencer. A skilled sniper. She has the eyes of a hawk and once she zeroes in on you, you better have a shit load of luck to escape her bullet.

 **Knight Coby** **:** Male, 30 years old, Asian. Heavy Weapons expert. Armed with his own customized minigun, he's a force to be reckoned with especially if he decides to start spraying bullets on ya!

 **Knight Sergeant Vyse** **:** Male, 26 years old, Hispanic, main weapon: customized laser rifle. A gung-ho sharpshooter. You can depend on him on any situation! I tell ya, this guy delivers quite a punch when he's in the mood!

 **Star Paladin Elysse** **:** Female, 36 years old, Caucasian, main weapon: Assault carbine with under barrel grenade launcher. Demolitions expert, enough said. Oh and she's also the second-in-command.

 **Star Paladin Kodiak** **:** Male, 57 years old, African-American. One of two members of the original Pride that are still alive. He's a jack-of-all-trades soldier and is good at a wide range of weapons and can take on any role! But he mostly prefers to use his minigun to do the talking.

 **Knight Captain Gusurg** **:** Male, 38 years old, Caucasian, main weapon: customized Service Rifle. He's our tech specialist. A good hacker and a great repairman too. He helped us gain access to the vault and managed to modify part of the system so we could monitor activities inside and outside of the vault.

And of course, there's me, **Sentinel Maxson** , squad leader and a skilled marksman, if I do say so myself.

* * *

"And that's everyone from Lyons' Pride" Arthur said

Ellie nodded and said "I'm Ellie, rebel under the Sons of Liberty"

Despite the remarks of Elysse, the other members were quite friendly towards the mercenary.

"Alright then" Arthur said "time for the next agenda!"

"Agenda?" Ellie wondered

"We were supposed to attack a NCR slaver camp not far from here" Arthur explained "When we found you, we just finished scouting the area."

Ellie's puts up a serious face as she asks "Where is this slaver camp?"

"Paradise Falls…" Arthur said

"When do we leave?" Ellie asks

"8pm" Arthur replied "We'll raid that place and free as many slaves as we can"

"Count me in" Ellie said

Arthur smiles as he says "Welcome aboard"

 **A few minutes later:**

Ellie was tinkering with the squad's only radio while Arthur and Elysse looked on. It didn't take long for her to establish contact with Johannes.

"Good work Blade" Johannes said "Also, I have good news of my own"

"What is it?" Ellie asked

"Big Town's pledged their support to the rebellion" Johannes said with an upbeat tone "Slowly but surely, our rebellion's growing strong!"

"Nice!" Ellie said "Keep me posted for anything new!"

"Wilco" Johannes replied "You better do the same!"

"Roger that, Blade out" Ellie said

There was silence for a few minutes… Arthur could see the serious look in the young mercenary's face…  
Breaking the silence, Ellie says "So… Tell me more about Paradise Falls"

"Decades ago, that place used to be a large slaver camp" Arthur answered "Slavers from that area would go around the wasteland, enslaving anyone unlucky enough to be considered 'valuable' in their eyes… This persisted until 2278, when the Brotherhood attacked Paradise Falls and basically, kicked all of the slavers out. It was the end of slavery for the region… That is until the NCR came… After losing the Purifier, the NCR reorganized the slavers and here we have the problem of slavery once again…"

"I thought the NCR was a democracy and all that shit?" Ellie said with disgust "Why would they support slavery?"

"Although they claim to be a democratic republic" Arthur answered "Their leaders aren't really above using slavery to further their goals… They're hypocrites if you ask me"

Annoyed with what she had just heard, the young mercenary could only utter "Trash… all of them"

 **Vicinity of Paradise Falls; 7:55pm:**

The rebels hide behind a destroyed building just a few meters away from the entrance, which was guarded by 2 troopers armed with Service Rifles.

"What's the plan?" Ellie asked

Arthur simply signals the other members as Marina moves forward and goes prone by the roadside. With her scoped hunting rifle, she took the time to carefully aim at the trooper standing by the gate. The second the other trooper turns around to patrol the right side of the gate, Marina makes her shot and hits the trooper in the head without arousing the suspicion of the other trooper. Taking advantage of the situation, the sniper quickly zeroes in on the other trooper. Before he could notice his dead comrade, Marina fires another shot and hits his head.

"All clear" she said

"Whoah..." Ellie said in amazement "...Pretty good..."

"Good work, Marina" Arthur said "Ok, we go in. Silenced and melee weapons only. Quick and fast. Don't let the enemy notice any of their dead and take out any threats as quickly as possible, understand me?"

"Yes!" the other members responded as the squad makes their way into Paradise Falls.

 **Paradise Falls; Main Entrance:**

As they neared the door to the main entrance, the squad notices 2 NCR troopers wearing salvaged power armor.

"This is gonna be tough…" Marina said "I don't have any AP bullets on me"

"Guess we're gonna have to do this the old fashion way" Vyse said as he looks at Kodiak who simply nods

The two then slowly crept their way towards the two NCR troopers. However, the area where the two troopers were is lighted, which meant that stepping into the light will compromise their position.

Surprisingly, Vyse emerges from the shadows, revealing himself to the troopers.

"Hey!" one of the troopers said "You're a Brotherhood soldier!"

"Right you are my dead troopers" Vyse replied in a taunting manner

Before the NCR troopers could raise their weapons, Kodiak shot both of them multiple times in the head with his silenced .45 auto pistol. It didn't kill the soldiers but it was enough to disorient them which prompted Vyse to grab one of them and throw him into the floor like how a judo teacher throws his students. When the trooper hits the floor, Vyse quickly plunges his knife into the gap between the helmet and the armor, stabbing the neck area and killing the trooper instantly.

The other trooper tried to shoot his rifle despite still being disoriented by the hits to his helmet. But the Knight Sergeant was able to grab his helmet and push it sideways, revealing the gap. Acting quickly, Vyse plunges his knife on the side of the trooper's neck. The trooper, despite being stabbed in the neck, tried to resist but was eventually, choking in his own blood before finally falling to the ground, dead.

With the area clear, the other soldiers converge on the site of the dead troopers and subsequently hid the bodies of the 4 dead troopers.

"Impressive" Ellie said with a smile "Didn't know you were handy with knives"

"Well" Vyse replied "We're all trained to be good at melee combat; it's just that most of us choose to use firearms over knives. Me, I like to keep things balanced."

"Right" Ellie said "Good to see someone else who's good with CQC"

"Maybe we can spar when we have the time" Vyse said with a smile

"Yeah, we should" Ellie said as she comically smacks Vyse's shoulder.

"Enough chitchat" Arthur said "We're about to enter the slave pens. Be alert and remember, we're freeing slaves not slaughtering NCR soldiers. Neutralize only those who would compromise our mission got it?"

"Right!" everyone said

 **Paradise Falls; Near the Slave Pens:**

Upon entering the area, the squad quickly notices the snipers on the roofs of each building. Marina wasted no time in neutralizing each sniper, while making sure noone suspects a thing.

With the snipers neutralized, the squad slowly moves forward and ahead of them, are 5 NCR troopers standing by a campfire, behind them is a building (Which was the office of the late Eulogy Jones)

Vyse then pats Ellie's shoulder and says "Wanna take this with me?"

Ellie smiles and says "Why not?"

"Most kills wins?" Vyse said with a playful tone

"Is that a challenge?" Ellie said with a smile

"Maybe" Vyse replied

"Stop flirting you two" Elysse said "We've got a timetable to keep!"

"We're not flirting!" Ellie said with a flustered face "Fine, let's go!"

With that, the mercenary and the Brotherhood soldier slowly crept closer to the group. Ellie hid behind some crates while Vyse circled around and hid behind the barricade the leads towards the slave pens. With the sight of Vyse's knife, Ellie took that as a signal and quickly leapt from her position and with her hidden blades, eliminated the two troopers in her immediate front. Acting quickly, she uses her dual hidden blades to slash the throat of the trooper to her left and turning to her next target, she uses her right hand to grab the trooper's right arm and with her left hidden blade, she plunges the blade into the trooper's face. Then she hears the sound of a gun cocking. Looking at her left, she sees the NCR trooper was about to fire his weapon. Fortunately, Vyse sneaks up on him. Covering the trooper's mouth, Vyse slits his throat.

"I guess I win" Ellie said triumphantly

"Yeah, yeah" Vyse said with a lazy tone "You got more kills but I saved your life so there"

Ellie chuckled and said "Such a sore loser"

"Shut up!" Vyse replied with a flustered face

The other squad members then converge on the area.

"Good work" Arthur said "Now let's free those slaves!"

"Roger!" Everyone said

That night, over 80 slaves, composing of men, women and even children, were freed and the remaining NCR soldiers woke up to a gruesome sight the next morning.

 **Vault 112, Pod room; the next day:**

"Nice work Pride!" Arthur said as he addresses the squad "We dealt a major blow into the NCR's slavery operation!"

"So what do we do now?" Gusurg asked

"Once we have enough intel and supplies" Arthur answered "We'll strike the NCR forward base at Evergreen Mills"

"Evergreen Mills?" Vyse wondered

"Striking Evergreen Mills" Elysse explained "Will cripple the NCR's supply line in the south and also their ability to organize proper operations the area"

"So what's the news on the intel?" Coby asked

"We already have a few recon reports that Marina and Vyse did a few days ago" Arthur said "At best, we can raid that camp by tomorrow night"

"Wow" Ellie said "You guys don't waste time"

"Of course we don't!" Arthur said proudly "The more time we waste, the more lives the NCR destroys! We gotta end their tyranny as quickly as possible!"

"I agree with you there…" Ellie said

"So get well rested everyone!" Arthur said "Check your weapon's conditions and your ammo. Be ready for tomorrow's operation!"

"YEAH!" Everyone said with high spirits.

 **The next day:**

It was the day of the raid. Ellie was so excited that she began to run maintenance on her rifle, pistol and hidden blades… for the 20th time…

"Well aren't we so caring about our weapons"

Looking behind her, Ellie sees Vyse

"Vyse?" Ellie said "What's up?"

"Nothing really" he replied "Just finished my weapon maintenance and got bored so I came to check on ya!"

"Oh really?" Ellie said

"Yeah so" Vyse said "You really hate the NCR with a passion huh…?"

"Of course I do" Ellie replied "The NCR destroyed the peace of this land, not only that, they ruined a lot of lives! Don't you hate them just as much?"

"Of course I do" Vyse said "But I make sure that I think about the people around me first"

"Huh?" Ellie wondered

"Despite what the NCR's been doing" Vyse said "I still give myself time to think about how my actions affect other people, especially towards my squadmates… I also make sure that I only kill those who are a threat to our mission. Killing NCR soldiers that pose no threat is a big no-no for me…"

"Why?" Ellie asked as she did not understand Vyse's reasoning

"Those troopers are just soldiers following orders" Vyse said "They have their own set of beliefs and their own sense of justice… Can't kill them all because we don't agree in some of them…"

"But the things they did…" Ellie said

Vyse simply shook his head and said "You know I heard this story about the Brotherhood once"

"What is it?" Ellie asked

"Back in 2276, a splinter group of Brotherhood soldiers was formed" Vyse said "This caused a civil war between, supposedly, brothers that would last for more than 10 years…"

"What happened?" Ellie asked

"When the Brotherhood first came here, our original objective was to collect pre-War tech, nothing more, nothing less…" Vyse continued "But the Elder that time realized how the people here desperately needed help and he opted to stay here and protect the people instead of collecting pre-War tech… The main branch in California didn't like this at all and severed all contact with us… Over the years, a group of Brotherhood soldiers began to question the Elder's decision and eventually left, the group called themselves the Outcasts… The war pitted brother against brother and it was horrible… Good thing I wasn't there when the whole civil war was happening…"

"How did it end?" Ellie asked

"After more than a decade, the outcasts left the region along with any pre-War tech they obtained…" Vyse said

"An interesting story" Ellie said "But what does that have to do with the NCR?"

Vyse simply smiles and says "If you were a member of the brotherhood before the civil war and eventually, witness the civil war itself, would you still say 'I want to kill all those outcasts?"

Ellie stayed silent for a while, trying to figure out what Vyse meant… But she couldn't understand… What does that mean?

But before Ellie could utter a word, she feels the Vault shake and the sound of gunfire echoes throughout the place.

"We have a problem!" Dallas said as she comes running into the room

"What is it, Dallas?" Vyse asked

"N-NCR troops are attacking the vault!" Dallas said

"WHAT!?" Ellie and Vyse said in unison

 **Back to the present:**

As the group stops to rest, they notice that one of them is missing…

"Where's Gusurg?" Arthur asked

"Dunno…" Vyse said "…Haven't even seen him come in with us…"

"Oh shit…" Arthur said as he looks behind him "Gusurg, I'm sorry…"

A few minutes later, the squad continues their trek and eventually emerge near the Charnel House.

 **Charnel House; 12:15pm:**

As the squad emerges from the underground tunnels, they could see the NCR flood the garage from their current position.

"How did they know we were hidden there?" Dallas asked

"I dunno…" Coby answered

"Could we have been followed?" Marina said

"Impossible" Kodiak said "I made sure the NCR wouldn't know where we were…"

As the squad ponders on how the events unfolded, they are suddenly greeted by someone, "Hey guys"

Looking behind them, the squad sees Gusurg, alive and well.

"Gusurg?" Elysse said with a curious tone "How did you get here?"

"It was quite simple actually" Gusurg said with a taunting tone

With a serious face, Arthur says "What do you mean?"

Gusurg simply smiles as a squad of NCR soldiers deactivate their stealth armor.

"Gusurg you traitor!" Vyse said angrily as he cocks his rifle only to stop when he feels the muzzle of a gun behind his head...

"Sorry guys…" Gusurg said "Nothing personal, it's just that I'm more inclined to the NCR's cause…"

"After all that we've been through…" Arthur said "You've been planning this from the very beginning!?"

Gusurg simply smiles and says "Take them away"

As the NCR troopers restrain the soldiers of Lyons' Pride, Ellie could only stare at the traitor with eyes consumed by fury.

"You'll regret this you son of a bitch…" Ellie said as the troopers take away her equipment and proceed to tie her up.


	8. The Raider

**Paradise Falls; Slave Pen**

 **2 days later:**

 **2:30pm:**

Betrayed by one of their own, the soldiers of Lyons' Pride are now trapped like caged animals inside the slave pens.

"Damn that shithead!" Vyse said as he punches the wall of a building "Should have shot him when I had the chance!"

"No use complaining about it Vyse" Elysse said "…We were all duped by that bastard"

"Just wait until I get this slave collar off!" he continued "I'm gonna make him regret being born!"

"Let it go, Vyse" Coby said "We're all as frustrated as you are but we can't do shit right now"

"I know damn it" Vyse said

"Just endure it for now" Arthur said "Once we find an opening, we escape and avenge this betrayal, right Ellie?"

The commander then turns to the young mercenary who was surprisingly quiet. She hadn't spoken since they were placed in those pens 2 days ago…

"Ellie…?" Vyse said

"That bastard…" Ellie muttered "I'd rip out his guts when I get that chance…"

Her mind was consumed with hatred and her thoughts are filled with scenarios of how she would kill Gusurg…

Suddenly, the young mercenary suffers from a headache. It wasn't a normal headache as the pain kept getting worse by the minute and gravity was once again pulling her down…

Unsurprisingly, as if she was expecting it, Ellie's consciousness begins to wonder into a dream…

 **Flashback:**

"No I won't come back!"

Like before, she finds herself in an unfamiliar environment. And once again, she's wearing the unfamiliar power armor while accompanied by 1 soldier with the same power armor and 1, who was very tall & bulky.

"I'll ask again" the incredibly tall soldier said in a deep menacing voice "You are to return or else"

"I'd rather have my knowledge die with me than come back to you bastards!" an old man said defiantly

"Very well…" the soldier replied as Ellie raises her Assault Rifle and without hesitation, opens fire on the man and his family.

"We can always find a replacement for you…" the tall soldier said

"N-No…" Ellie thought to herself as she stares at the lifeless bodies of the man, his wife and a child… "I-I…"

Unable to accept what she saw, she kept on muttering "I'm not a murderer…" to herself as if it's some sort of mantra…

"Oh but you are…"

Looking behind her, the environment around her suddenly turns black and a lone figure stands in front of her, it was the man who tried to kill her before.

"You're a murderer, Ellie…" he said with a sinister tone and smile

"NO! I'M NOT!" She shouted as she begins to hyperventilate

"Don't you feel it?" he said "The urge to kill? What's wrong with killing anyway? This world's changed! Only the strong survive in this new world!"

"That's not true!" she protested

"Really? Take a look at that family…" the man said as Ellie stares at their dead bodies "Are they strong? Hell, they couldn't even take a bullet…"

Ellie was shivering, for some reason; she couldn't find the words to say to the man…

"We're all killers" he said "You're no exception"

"NO!" she shouted as she fires her assault rifle

Opening her eyes, she notices the man was gone…

"I'm not a killer…" she muttered

"Deny it all you want" the man, coming from behind her, whispered "But this is reality"

Ellie turns around and sees no one…

"Who am I?" she muttered as terror begins to sink in "What am I?"

 **Present; Vyse's perspective:**

The soldier could only stare helplessly as Ellie cringes in fear. He never saw anything like it…

Just days ago, she was this strong female warrior and now, here she is trembling on the ground and hyperventilating like some rape victim…

"What's happening to her?" he said

"No clue…" Arthur replied "Dallas, any insight?"

"Judging from her reaction…" she replied "She could either be suffering from PTSD or something's causing her to be like that… I can't say for sure…"

"Ellie…" Vyse muttered

The sound of gunfire catches the squad's attention as they look towards the direction of the entrance.

NCR troopers were scrambling to the gate; it seemed that the camp is under attack by an unknown force.

"Under attack huh…" Vyse said "This is good, right?"

Despite Vyse's optimism, Elysse and Arthur were a bit skeptical

"It's good…" Arthur replied "But who's attacking?"

"Who cares, right?" Vyse replied "Most likely other rebels trying to spring us outta here!"

"Let's hope so…" Elysse muttered

Minutes later, the main gates blew open and the firefight keeps getting closer and closer to the slave pens. It was clear that the NCR troopers were struggling to defend the camp.

"Can't see a thing…" Arthur said "Marina, can you spot who the attacking forces are?"

"Roger" Marina replied as she climbs the fence.

"Not good…" Marina said

"What is it?" Arthur asked

"Super Mutants…" the sniper answered "Super Mutants are attacking the camp…"

Disheartened, Coby uttered "Oh hell no…"

"We have got to get outta here now" Kodiak said

An explosion then sends a NCR trooper flying towards the pen. He lands just near the door. Noticing, something shiny fly off his uniform, Marina shouts "KEY!"

It was the pen's key, merely a few feet away from the gate!

"Get that key!" Arthur said as the squad, except Ellie and Vyse, tries to reach for it to no avail

Not giving up, the squad searches the pen for anything to use to reach the key. Finding some sticks and a few rolls of a worn out duck tape, the squad quickly puts together the sticks and Arthur tries to use it to reach the key.

"Come on, Come on" Arthur muttered as he desperately tries to reach the key

Maybe it was luck but the squad commander managed to acquire the key by putting the stick through the key's hole.

Not wasting time, the commander quickly opens the pen door as the Super Mutants drew closer.

Although the doorwas opened, Ellie still didn't budge and continued to tremble.

"Ellie!" Vyse said as he shakes her "Ellie! Wake up!"

But his words land on deaf ears… The mercenary was still trapped in her latest episode… Having no other option, Vyse slaps the young mercenary in the right cheek.

It was a hard slap as it left a red mark on the young mercenary's face. She stared at Vyse, shocked at what had happened…

'"You back with us?" he said

"B-Back?" Ellie muttered as she returns to her senses

"Come on!" Vyse said "We gotta hurry! Move!"

"R-Right…" Ellie said in a daze

Entering the former office building, of Eulogy Jones, the squad quickly locates their gear which was hidden under a locked chest, easily picked by Vyse.

With their collars deactivated, their power armor on and their weapons cocked, the squad was ready to escape Paradise Falls.

"Where do we go from here?" Marina asked

"I know a secret tunnel" Coby said

"How did you know?" Vyse wondered

"I used to be a slave here…" he replied "…Escaped decades ago! If it's still there, then we can use it to escape this hellhole, all the while avoiding the Super Mutants!"

"Worth a shot!" Arthur said "Let's move Pride!"

Kicking the door open, the squad makes haste for the bathrooms next to the slave pens, all the while gunning down any NCR soldier that stood in their way.

Reaching the bathroom, the squad quickly opens the drainage hole and used the underground tunnel to escape as the Super Mutants were about to overwhelm the NCR troopers.

Despite the tunnel being cramped, the squad had no choice but to push through…

 **Outskirts of Paradise Falls**

 **A few minutes later:**

The squad emerges from the tunnels. After 2 days of captivity, the squad was finally free!

"Everyone accounted for?" Arthur said

"We're all here" Elysse replied

"Finally outta that place!" Vyse said "I was about to develop claustrophobia!"

"Come on" Arthur said "We have to get outta here before-"

Before the commander could finish his sentence, the Super Mutants had caught up with them…

Having no other option, the members of the Pride just raise their arms awaiting their fate…

But something was odd… The Super Mutants aren't tearing them apart or even dragging them to who knows where… No… they simply stood there with their weapons drawn but they weren't aiming at the soldiers at all… What is going on?

As the members of the Pride wonder on what is happening, a Super Mutant, wearing 2 ammo belts around his chest, walks up to them and asks "Are you part of the Brotherhood of Steel?"

Confused, several members uttered "Huh?"

"Are you part of the Brotherhood of Steel?" the mutant asked again

"Uh Y-Yes we are" Arthur answered nervously

"Good" the mutant answered as he turns around and points at a distant location "Come with us"

Everyone was dumbfounded… Not only did they encounter a Super Mutant who can engage in a normal conversation, he was also diplomatic…

Confused, Coby said "Ok… What the hell just happened?"

"I dunno…" Arthur answered "I guess, they saved our lives?"

Even Kodiak was taken aback as he says "I never thought I'd see the day…"

"Are you coming or not?" the mutant said

"Regardless…" the commander said "Let's go with them… Grab your gear and let's proceed to wherever these guys are headed…"

Still confused with the events that transpired, the soldiers of Lyons' Pride gather their equipment and went along with the Super Mutants

 **Germantown Police HQ; Super Mutant Stronghold**

 **4:30pm:**

Arriving at the derelict police station, the squad finds that the place is inhabited by so many super mutants, with varying appearances… With some mutants having blue skin while others were yellowish-green and had a bulkier build compared to other mutants…

"I've never seen some of these mutants before…" Kodiak said as he notices the blue-skinned ones

"No kidding…" Arthur said "…I thought the purge of Vault 87 was supposed to have depleted their population…"

"Nevermind that…" Elysse interrupted "… They're fairly docile and seem to be much more civilized than what we were taught…"

 **Cafeteria; Ground floor:**

The squad sits down on a makeshift table as the super mutant sits near them.

"I'm sorry for surprising you like that…" he said

"No uh…" Arthur replied nervously "It's ok. In fact, I'd like to thank you for saving us but why? Why did you save us?"

"I was told by a friend that you were captured…" the mutant responded "And he requested that you be rescued"

"Who is this friend of yours?" Elysse asked

"I'm sorry again" the mutant answered "But he wanted to remain anonymous for now…"

"Anonymous huh…" Vyse said "…How about you? What's your name?"

"I am Fawkes" the mutant answered

"Nice to meet you Fawkes" Arthur said "But why are you so friendly towards us? Aren't Super Mutants hostile to all non-mutants?"

"I am, as you could say, a deviant even among my own kind" Fawkes answered "I have maintained my intelligence despite being mutated into this creature. That and I owe my life to a human, which is why I have some respect for your kind…"

"Ok…" Marina said "…So how about the other mutants? They couldn't have all been rescued by a human? Or even retained their intelligence…"

"Ah yes" Fawkes said "After the purge of Vault 87 and my subsequent encounter with a fellow mutant, it inspired me to try and change these mutants for the better…"

"Fellow mutant?" Ellie wondered

"Yes… He goes by name of Uncle Leo" Fawkes said "A super mutant like me but a peaceful one at that, much more peaceful that I was…"

"So how did you manage to convince the rest of the mutants to follow you?" Arthur asked

"To tell you the truth" Fawkes answered "Me and Uncle Leo had a difficult time uniting the mutants but as time went by, some of the super mutants began to follow us. Slowly but surely, we managed to reform them and create an entire peaceful community of Super Mutants… But not all follow our ideology…"

"That's great" Arthur said "It's good to hear that your people are reforming… Maybe a day will come when we can all coexist!"

"Yes" Fawkes replied "That would be nice"

"Anyway" Coby said "What's our plan now?"

"You are free to stay here for the night" Fawkes said

"Just 1 night?" Marina wondered

"Yes well…" Fawkes said "… Not all the mutants are very accepting of humans so, you can only stay for 1 night…"

"Then where do we set up shop then?" Coby asks as he faces Arthur

The Sentinel pondered to himself for a while before saying "There should be a military base near Vault 112, its called Fort Bannister. We can set up shop there"

"You want us to set up shop near the place where we got caught?" Elysse said in disbelief

Arthur simply smiles and says "It's perfect because the enemy wouldn't even dream that we'd set up shop so near to our original base! Besides, it's the closest we've got! That base is best candidate for a staging ground for our raid on Evergreen Mills!"

"Yeah but what are ya gonna do if we get caught again?" Dallas asks

"Don't worry…" Arthur said "We won't get caught. The only reason we got caught before was because Gusurg was a traitor… As if another one of us here is a traitor right? Besides, we can't stay here forever. Fawkes said it himself; we can only stay one night"

"Alright fine…" Elysse said "…We'll set up shop in that stupid fort…"

"Alright then! It's decided!" Arthur said "Get some rest everyone! I'm pretty sure we're all tired from what happened today. Thanks again, Fawkes"

"It is my pleasure" Fawkes replied

 **Later that night:**

Vyse wakes up in the middle of the night… He couldn't sleep…

Deciding to take a walk, he steps outside, looks like even at night, a few super mutants are still active.

"Still can't believe what I'm seeing…" he mumbled

Stepping outside, he notices a familiar figure staring at the destroyed buildings around the police station.

"Hey" he said as he walks closer to the figure

Turning around, the light of the moon shines upon the individual revealing that it was Ellie…

"Hey…" she replied in a dejected voice

"Can't sleep?"

"Yeah…"

"You ok?" he asked as he rests his hand on her shoulder

Ellie didn't utter a word… Sensing her anxiety, the soldier asks "What's wrong?"

The young mercenary was silent for a while, should she tell him or not?

Eventually, she looked at him with a sincere face and says:

"If you ever find out that you were an evil person in the past, what would you do?"

Vyse pondered to himself a bit...

"Did you do something like that?" he asked

"I don't know…" she replied "…I just keep getting these dreams where I perform heinous crimes… But I never did any of those evil deeds…"

"It's just a dream, right?" Vyse said as he stares at the moon "Even if it was real, what you do now is what matters. If you did something wrong in the past and you really want to make amends, then what you do now will reflect on how sincere you are…"

"Vyse…" Ellie muttered

"I'll let you in on a little secret" Vyse said "I wasn't always a member of the Brotherhood…"

"What do you mean?" Ellie asked

"I was born in the Mojave Wasteland" he said "Didn't know who my parents were because they died when I was still young… I was raised by a bunch of raiders who called themselves the Vipers. For the most of my childhood, I would help them victimize innocent people by using my 'little boy charm' to catch unsuspecting wastelanders by surprise. I had my fair share in killing these innocent people too…"

"You were a raider?" Ellie said

Vyse simply gave a pained smile as he continues his story

"When I was 15 years old, the boss decided to send a couple of us into the Capital Wasteland to establish some sort of criminal empire there… We arrived days later and we wasted no time in ruining the lives of many wastelanders… That was until we picked the wrong target…

* * *

It happened a month after we arrived, we targeted this tall fellow, he looked like someone from a vault and we thought he was an easy kill…We were dead wrong… I watched him kill my fellow raiders as if it was nothing. I had never felt such fear before. That was when I realized the kind of terror that my previous victims experienced. When the man finally turned to me, I dropped my gun, closed my eyes and waited for my death… To my surprise, he didn't kill me. He took me in and brought me to the Brotherhood's HQ at the Citadel.

At first, I was a rowdy initiate but after 3 years of training, I began to realize the evils that I had done. The sight of helping others touched my heart that I cried. I was evil and there was no excuse for that… I contemplated suicide as a way to redeem myself but Sentinel Maxson discovered my attempt and stopped me. After telling him about my past and the reasons behind my attempted suicide, he berated me by saying that I would be insulting the people I victimized if I pulled through with my suicide. I kinda forgot the rest of his speech but it was really long and boring.

Long story short, he managed to inspire me. From then on, I trained day in and day out so that I could gain a recommendation to Lyons' Pride. I tell you, being accepted in one of the most elite squads in the Brotherhood was a really emotional moment for me. Now, I live every waking moment of my life trying to redeem myself… So the life lesson is no matter how dark your past is it doesn't matter. What matters is what you do now and tomorrow"

* * *

Ellie was silent. She was shocked to hear that this Brotherhood Soldier, who dedicated his life to helping other, was a raider, a raider of all things. But she understood what the young soldier was trying to tell her.

"Vyse" she said as the young soldier turns around and looks at her "Thank you"

As she thanked him, Vyse saw a genuine smile coming from her face. Her face shined under the moonlight and the young soldier was just spellbound at the sight of this beauty…

Blushing, the soldier turns away and says "W-Well, I think we should get some shut eye. We have a long day tomorrow"

"Yeah" Ellie replied while maintaining her smile

The two then return to their rooms and Ellie was finally able to sleep peacefully after almost 2 days of sleepless nights…


	9. The Girdershade Incident

**Fort Bannister; the next day:**

A group of radroaches scurries away as a flamer wielding Coby and Fawkes clear the bunker. In the Commanding Officer's Quarters, Arthur and Elysee search through piles of junk, hoping to find something useful. The rest of the squad, along with 2 other super mutants, is in the living quarters, cleaning the beds and checking the storage lockers for any useful equipment.

 **An hour later:**

The squad, except for Elysse and Marina, and the super mutants gather at the Commanding Officer's quarters to decide their next move.

"So" Vyse said "What's our next move?"

"I had Elysse and Marina do some scouting" Arthur answered "They should be back soon…"

"Can we really take that supply base?" Vyse asked "My guts tell me that the NCR's gonna tighten security in that base…"

"Which is why I sent those two on recon" Arthur replied "I just hope that my fears won't be realized…"

"Fears?" Ellie wondered

"We're back" Elysse said as she and Marina climbs down the stairs

"Great" Arthur said "What's the update on Evergreen Mills?"

"We got a problem" Marina answered with a worried face "The base has really tight security… We're talking about NCR Rangers armed with Anti-Material Rifles, double the number of guards…"

"That doesn't sound good…" Kodiak muttered "You think we can take em on?"

"Fawkes…" Arthur said as he turns to the super mutant "you think you can lend us a hand in taking this supply base?"

"I'm sorry, my friend…" Fawkes answered "But asking even a few of my kind to rescue you is hard enough… I cannot say for sure if we can help you but I will try…"

"Damn…" Arthur muttered

"What do we do?" Coby asked

"I was hoping we don't involve them but…" Arthur responded with a worried tone

"But what?"

"We can get help from Girdershade… That settlement's a hotbed of anti-NCR sentiment but they can't openly rebel because the NCR has a tight grip on them…"

"So we lighten the grip?" Vyse suggested

Arthur was silent for a while, pondering on the best way to deal with the current situation…

"Alright" he said, breaking the silence in the room "Vyse, Marina and Ellie, you guys go to Girdershade and find a way to enlist the locals"

"Got any leads for us to follow?" Ellie asked

"I have a contact in the town" Arthur replied "He's called Ol' man Lauren"

"An old guy?" Vyse wondered

"Yep… he's old" the commander replied "But he's an old friend of another friend of mine…"

"An old friend of another friend?" Ellie wondered

"Basically, I know him through another friend of mine"

"Ok…" the mercenary replied while still hardly understanding what the commander meant

"When you find him, give him this Nuka Cola Quantum" the commander said as he hands the troopers the bottle.

"A Nuka Cola Bottle?" Vyse wondered

"He'll know the message right away" the commander assured them

"Alright…" Vyse replied

"Right then, get moving!" the commander enthusiastically said "And don't attract too much attention, we don't want anymore unnecessary attention"

"Right!" the three troopers responded

As the three troopers leave the base, Elysse approaches Arthur

"Sure it's a good idea to leave them on a mission like that?" she asked with a worried face

"Have faith in them" the commander responded "Besides, I'm confident they can help solve the town's problem?"

"You mean the NCR occupation?" his second-in-command responded

"If only that was the main problem…" Arthur muttered "…But I have faith those three can pull it off…"

 **Girdershade, 10:35am:**

* * *

 _In the years that followed after the subsequent destruction of the Enclave's mobile crawler,_ Girdershade _grew to become one of the first farming communities in the Capital Wasteland. What started as a tiny settlement composed of two people has grown to become a small farming town occupied by more than 100 people._

 _Despite most of the inhabitants being anti-NCR, the republic maintained a firm grip upon the settlement._

* * *

The three troopers arrive, donning regular wastelander clothing to avoid suspicion. Despite the presence of the townsfolk, the settlement was quiet, almost lifeless…

"Damn…" Vyse muttered "You can just sense the despair in this place…"

"You think it's because of the NCR?" Ellie wondered

"Doubt it" Marina answered "I doubt the NCR can cause the townsfolk to behave like this…"

"Hey guys!" A tall man, wearing Brahmin skin outfit, shouted to a dejected crowd "Why are we sulking here and letting those NCR bastards take over the town? If we let these bastards control us like this, we'll never be free from their tyranny!"

The man continues his speech as the troopers make their way into town.

They soon arrive at a house, sitting under a bridge.

"Looks like this is it" Marina said as she checks on the address Arthur gave her "This must be where Ol' man Laren lives"

Wasting no time, the young soldier knocks on the door as an elderly man answers the door.

"What do you want?" the old man said in a grouchy tone

"Are you Ol' Man Laren?" the young sniper asked

With a squint, the old man begrudgingly responds "Who wants to know?"

The sniper didn't utter a word and simply handed over a Nuka Cola Quantum to the old man.

The old man stared at the bottle for a few minutes as he pulls out a letter that was inside.

Upon reading the letter, he said "Get in here"

 **Laren's House, Girdershade:**

"Yeah, I'm Ronald Laren" the old man said "What do you want?"

"We want the townspeople to help us in a rebellion" Vyse answered

"That's a pretty big request you're asking kid" the old man replied

"Why?" the trooper wondered "Isn't Girdershade anti-NCR?"

"Don't get me wrong, a lot of us hate the NCR to the core!" the old man explained "But there are also a couple of snitches in here who would even report a guy who's badmouthing the republic"

"So you're afraid of a few saboteurs?" Marina said

"If that was the only problem" the old man responded "We would have hogtied every single one of those assholes and burned them on a stake"

"So there's a bigger problem?" Marina asked

"No shit…" the old man replied "Lately, people have been suddenly turning up missing"

"Turning up missing…?" Vyse wondered

"Alive in the morning and the next, poof, they're gone" the old man explained "Someone or something is kidnapping the townsfolk and the fucking NCR isn't doing shit… To top it all off, a body was discovered just a few days ago, poor bastard was crucified right in the middle of town…"

"Crucified!?" Marina nervously muttered "So some of the missing people turn up dead?"

"Yep" the old man replied "Sometimes, we see a body suddenly crucified somewhere in town. Cause of death varies from gunshot wounds, to a shit load of stab wounds, others were beaten to death and the most gruesome, someone had their eyes gouged out… But when the townsfolk discover the bodies, we always find it crucified, that is if the missing person ever turns up"

"Damn…" Vyse muttered "When do these kidnappings/killings start?"

"My guess is nighttime" the old man answered "Since most of the victims were still alive and kickin the day before"

"So they get kidnapped sometime between 6pm and early morning?" Vyse suggested

"And sometimes, they get killed and have their bodies crucified somewhere in town…" Ellie added

"Could be" the old man replied "Since we're forced to follow the NCR's stupid curfew"

"Damn…" Vyse muttered in frustration "But how does the NCR not notice anything?"

"Hell if I know" the old man replied "If you ask me, I'd say that those bastards have a hand in all this shit"

"We'll solve these murders" Marina said with a determined voice

"Well this is new" the knight sergeant said, noticing Marina's conviction "I never thought I'd see the day that you'd be so determined"

Marina didn't utter a word, she merely sneers at the knight sergeant, who abruptly looks away and shuts his mouth

"Good luck then" the old man said

 **Later that night:**

The troopers patrol the town, in search of anything suspicious, while avoiding NCR soldiers.

"Keep an eye out for our perpetrator" Marina commanded

Taken aback by the sniper's sudden change in behavior, Ellie asks Vyse what was going on.

"I don't know" Vyse whispered "She's never acted like this before…"

"Isn't it kinda fucked up that the victims are crucified" Ellie whispered "I mean who does that kind of shit?"

Vyse was quiet for a few seconds before responding "When I was still in the Mojave Wasteland, I heard stories of a slaver group known as Caesar's Legion. From what I was told, those guys would always crucify their enemies and watch as they slowly died… And that was the easiest punishment you can get from them… They were feared throughout the wasteland and even tried to conquer it."

"What happened?" the mercenary asked

"Well for starters, the NCR resisted their advance" Vyse continued "But there was one person who managed to kick both the NCR and the legion out of the Mojave area…"

"Whoah" Ellie muttered in amazement "How could a single person bring down two armies?"

"I don't really know the details" Vyse answered "But apparently, she had some sort of robot army that helped her kick both factions out"

"A robot army huh…" Ellie muttered "Maybe I can learn something from her. On how to defeat the NCR"

"Well good luck with that…" the knight sergeant replied "She lives in the Lucky 38 casino and no living soul, except her and a select few people, has ever been able to enter that building. And even if she steps out of that building, people would hardly notice her for some reason…"

"She must be legendary…" Ellie said

"Yep" Vyse replied "As big of a legend as the Lone Wanderer… Damn…"

"So the Mojave Wasteland is independent now?" the mercenary said

"Yeah…" the knight sergeant replied "…Although some parts are still lawless and chaotic, the Mojave Wasteland is a nice place to live to say the least"

"Cut the chitchat" Marina said interrupting their conversation "We're supposed to be hunting for the killer!"

Her words were razor sharp and one could sense her determination in catching this killer. Vyse was caught off guard by her sudden change in behavior. He even thought "Do I still have a higher rank than her?"

They soon come across a house, whose door is oddly open.

"Should we look inside?" Vyse asked

Without uttering a word, the sniper opens the door with the other two troopers following inside.

The house was a wreck. Furniture and items were strewn everywhere.

There had been a struggle here and judging from the surroundings, it wasn't long when this happened.

As the troopers search the house, Ellie notices a word, hastily written in blood, 'Dunwich'…

"Shit..." Vyse muttered "Quite the struggle... But why didn't anyone hear anything?"

"We'll deal with that later" Marina answered "There's a blood trail leading outside. Let's follow it"

"Right!" both troopers responded as they follow the trail of blood

The troopers followed the blood trail until they reached the gates of the town, which was crawling with NCR Troopers.

"Shit" Marina said in frustration

"Looks like wherever the guy was taken" Vyse said "It's somewhere outside of town"

The sniper was clearly annoyed as she said "Why didn't any of these asswipes see anything!?"

"No use getting frustrated, Marina" Ellie said "Let's head back and gather whatever clues we can get"

"…Fine" the sniper replied

 **Girdershade Inn, an hour later:**

The troopers gather at their room to talk about the clues they found.

"We couldn't find much clues…" Vyse said with a disappointed tone "Except for the word 'Dunwich' written in blood…"

"Dunwich…" Marina muttered "Could it be a place or a person?"

"There is a place called Dunwich Building not far from here" Vyse said "You think that's where that poor sap was taken?"

"Could be…" Marina replied "Should he head there now?"

"Not a good idea" Ellie said "Let's ask Lauren about Dunwich first. Maybe he has an idea…"

"What are we waiting for?" Marina said "Let's go!"

"Marina" Vyse said as he grabs her arm "Its 11pm. He's asleep"

"So?" the sniper answered "Lives are at stake here! We swore to protect the lives of the people!"

"I know the oath!" Vyse strongly responded "Remember what the commander said, 'Don't attract attention'!"

Annoyed, Marina steps out of the door.

Ellie tries to catch up to the sniper but was stopped by the knight sergeant

"Let her cool down" he said "Meanwhile, let's contact the guys"

Perplexed, the mercenary simply responded with a "How?"

Smiling, the trooper brings out a pre-War portable radio.

"Where'd you get that?" the mercenary asked

"The commander and Elysse found several of these at Fort Bannister" he answered "These function like the radios we all know and use; only difference is that this is much more portable. To make it better, the NCR has yet to discover this pre-War tech"

Ellie smiles as Vyse turns the device on and begins to contact the rebels inside Fort Bannister.

"Ah good to hear from you guys!" Arthur enthusiastically said "What's the current status of the town?"

"Well" Vyse said "We got ourselves a little mystery here. People go missing at night only to be found the dead and crucified the next morning."

"Dead and crucified?" Arthur muttered

"Yeah" Vyse continued "We're following on a trail of clues. But more importantly, Marina seems to be acting weird ever since this whole shit started"

"Weird how?" Arthur asked

"She's hell-bent on solving this mystery" the knight sergeant explained "To the point that she disregards protocol"

"I knew this would happen…" the commander said

"What do you mean?" the knight sergeant asked

"You familiar with Caesar's Legion?" The commander responded

"Yeah" he replied "but weren't they destroyed in 2284? Marina wasn't even born yet"

"Marina isn't actually 22 years old" the commander continued "She's actually 48"

"48!?" Vyse exclaimed "You gotta be shitting me! She doesn't even look 30!"

"Weird right?" the commander answered nonchalantly "Maybe it's in her genes or some sort of mutation. I don't know for sure. But what we do know is that her body hardly appears to have aged"

"So why did you guys hide it?" he asked

"She requested it" the commander answered

The knight sergeant was confused. Why would one of his fellow teammates lie about her age?

"Can you tell me her story?" he asked

"Sorry" the commander answered "That's not my territory to reveal. You have to convince Marina to trust you guys. Good luck!"

Vyse puts the radio down as both troopers are confused as to what they should do.

"Should we try to ask her about her past?" Ellie wondered

"I don't know…" Vyse answered "We can't force her to tell us. That'll only form a rift. All we can do is earn her trust and hope she tells us eventually. For now, let's focus in solving this mystery!"

"Right" Ellie answered

 **Laren's House**

 **The next day:**

The troopers arrive at the Old man's house to inquire about Dunwich.

"Dunwich…" the old man muttered "I only know of 1 place but that place is bad news!"

"Why?" Marina wondered

"Known that place for year" the old man explained "I just know its bad news!"

Leaving the old man's house, the troopers are left to wonder on their next move.

"I found a place called Dunwich Building" Ellie said as she tinkers with her Pip-Boy

"Let's go!" Marina said "No time to waste!"

 **Vicinity of Dunwich Building, 30 minutes later:**

Nearing their destination, the troopers notice that the area was strangely quiet. Not a soul or sound anywhere…  
"Huh…" Vyse said "Not even a single sign of life anywhere…"

Ellie stares at the door to the building and couldn't help but feel a sense of evil coming from the building

"Let's go" Marina said as the troopers enter the building

 **Dunwich Building Lobby:**

The building had a much creepier layout that any of the other derelict buildings the mercenary had visited. Unable to ease her tension, Ellie checks her Pip-Boy.

"Guys" she said "My Geiger Counter is detecting small pockets of radiation here… I have a bad feeling…"

"Rads huh…" Vyse said "We should move fast then"

"Agreed" Marina answered as the troopers travel deep into the dark derelict building.

 **Forsaken Dunwich Ruins:**

Going deeper into the building, the troopers enter a dark room, with not even a speck of light to illuminate the area.

"Gets darker the deeper you go, huh" Ellie muttered as she activates her Pip-Boy light.

"Careful guys" Vyse said as he raises his rifle "I think we're not alone here…"

The troopers slowly descend into the dark corridors of the room.

Ellie checks her Geiger counter and sees that the area is irradiated, with her counter marking 5 rads/sec.

"So much rads…" she muttered as a snarl echoes across the room.

Reacting to the sound, the troopers each raise their weapons, although Marina raises her 10mm pistol instead of her rifle.

"Something's here with us…" Marina said as she senses danger approaching

Seeing a small light source, the troopers head towards it and discover a terminal.

"Herman Granger entries…" Ellie said as she and the other troopers read the terminal entries…

"My God…" Vyse said as they finish reading the entries

"The hell is going on with this place!?" Marina uttered nervously as the group hears a distinctive growl and the sound of footsteps.

Using her Pip-Boy light, Ellie searches for the source of the sound.

Approaching a door, Ellie prepares her 9mm pistol.

The moment, she rushes out into the corridor, she is pounced by a glowing one.

"ELLIE!" Vyse shouted as he tries to help but can't because of a horde of feral ghouls pouring in.

The mercenary struggles to get the ghoul off of her and with the radiation coming from the ghoul; she knew she had to act fast. The ghoul attempts to bite her face off as she struggles to keep a safe distance between the ghoul's mouth and her face. Desperate, she attempts to use her hidden blade to stab the ghoul in the neck but the creature merely flinched and resumed its assault.

Meanwhile, Vyse and Marina were busy shooting down one feral ghoul after another.

"There's no end to them!" Vyse shouted "Hold on, Ellie!"

With her right hidden blade still stuck in the ghoul's neck, the ghoul screamed and her Geiger counter began to ring, which is a sign that the radiation levels are dangerously increasing. She could feel her skin burning as the seconds go by.

"DAMN IT!" she shouted "GET OFF!"

As the creature was about to land its first bite on the mercenary's face, someone grabbed the ghoul by the neck and pulled it up, freeing the mercenary from its grip.

Quickly recovering, Ellie notices that it was Marina who did it!

"Marina NO!" she shouted "The rads!"

"Yeah I got that" Marina said as she points her pistol on the ghoul's head and opens fire, destroying the ghoul's head.

A few minutes later, the feral ghouls were all dispatched as Marina collapses into the wall. She was in pain and covering her left arm.

"Marina?" Vyse said as he checks on her

Ellie looks at her Geiger counter and sees that Marina has a total rad count of 450…

"You're dangerously irradiated…" Ellie said "Impossible that glowing one gave you that much rads in a few seconds…"

"Sorry…" Marina replied in a pained tone "But I guess some of those ghouls may have scratched me more than a few times…"

"Scratched?" Vyse nervously said "Try bites! Look at your arm! And with this place being irradiated, an injury like that is gonna absorb a shit load of radiation! We gotta bring ya to a doctor!"

"NO!" Marina strongly replied

"Don't be stupid!" Vyse said "The commander wants us to return alive so you better fulfill that mission objective!"

"I'm not leaving until we can properly investigate this building!" Marina said defiantly

Silence enveloped the room for a while

"…Fine" Vyse said "Ellie, you got any bandages or stimpaks?"

"Y-Yeah! I think I also have some Rad-X" Ellie replied as she brings out some stimpaks and Rad-X

After a few minutes, Marina stands up

"You feeling alright?" Ellie asked

"I'm fine" she replied "Let's explore this building pronto!"

"Right" the mercenary replied as the troopers continued to explore the building

 **Virulent Underchambers:**

Probably the darkest part of the building, the troopers couldn't even see their own hands unless Ellie's Pip-Boy light reveals it.

"What's that smell!?" Vyse said as a putrid odor fills the room

"I have a guess…" Ellie said "But I hope I'm wrong…"

As they travelled deeper into the tunnels, they notice that the place is littered with bodies of several people.

"Well" Vyse said "At least we know what happened to the missing people…"

Soon, they spot a tall obelisk sitting in the middle of a pile of bodies of humans, ghouls, animals and even insects.

"The fuck is this!?" Ellie said "Ah sick!"

It was a sickening sight… Almost straight out of a horror movie. As Marina tries to walk closer, she is stopped by Ellie, whose Geiger counter reads that the obelisk is highly irradiated.

Searching the rest of the bodies for clues, Ellie finds a holotape next to the body of a familiar person

"Where have I seen him before?" Ellie wondered "Wait, the guy who was preaching the other day!"

Yes it was him. The man who was preaching anti-NCR speeches the other day, is now here, lying dead among the bodies of other victims

Wasting no time, she plays it as the other two troopers listen in on the recording

* * *

I hope this recording reaches safe hands…We were brought here against our will! Those monsters! How could those ghouls just enter the town and take us without the NCR even batting an eye!? How? Now I'm trapped here in this chamber with no food, water or even a companion. Unless you count all these bodies as my companions. No… I don't want to die… Why me? Why should I suffer like this? I didn't do anything wrong… The NCR… The NCR has something to do with this I just know it! I-

* * *

The holotape then cuts off.

"Son of a bitch" Marina muttered "I knew the NCR had something to do with this…"

"Yeah" Vyse replied "But this recording isn't enough to incriminate them"

"Damn it…" Ellie said "Let's go back to town… Maybe we can find some more clues there…"

 **Girdershade, 2:30pm:**

As the troopers neared the old man's home, they notice that a group of NCR troopers have surrounded the house. Laren then emerges from the house, in handcuffs and is promptly escorted by the NCR troopers outside of town.

"What the hell!?" Vyse muttered

Ellie then approaches a local and asks "Excuse me, but why's he being arrested?"

"Didn't you know?" the local replied "The NCR said he and a couple of other people are behind the brutal kidnappings and murders that have been happening in the past few weeks"

"What!?" Ellie shouted

"I know right?" the local replied "I didn't think any of those fellows could pull it off. My take in all this, this is just a hoax the NCR created just to make an example out of anyone who's openly against them, to keep us in line. But that's just a theory"

Hearing the conversation, the three troopers could only stare at each other.

 **Girdershade Clinic, 30 minutes later:**

"So how are you feeling?" Vyse asked as Marina emerges from the clinic

"I'm fine now" she replied "Doctor patched me up and that shot got rid of all my rads"

"Good" Vyse said "Now then, what's our next move?"

"For now" Ellie said "Let's head back to the inn and report it to the commander, he'd like to hear about this"

"Right!" Vyse said as the troopers return to their room.


	10. The Girdershade Uprising

**Girdershade Inn, 4:15pm:**

The troopers gather at their room to discuss the events that unfolded nearly an hour before.

"So the NCR's sayin that Laren and a couple of other guys are responsible for the kidnappings and murders?" Vyse said, starting the conversation

"You think the NCR's framing em?" Marina suggested

"Could be" Ellie answered "But all we have is this holotape as evidence. As if that's enough"

"True that…" Vyse replied "…What should we do? The NCR's bound to either ship Laren & the others somewhere or worse, execute them!"

"We don't have much time then…" Marina frustratingly muttered "…Damn it! We have to find more clues! I say we raid the NCR outpost outside of town!"

"We can't do that…" Vyse rebutted "That outpost is heavily guarded, especially right now because of the prisoners…"

"So we just sit here and wait till the NCR uses them as scapegoats?" Marina frustratingly replied

The room was silent. What should they do? Should they take the risk and raid the NCR outpost for clues?

"I think we should call the commander" Vyse suggested

"Good idea" Marina replied

"Wait" Ellie said as the knight sergeant turns the radio on

"What?" he asked

"I got an idea" she said "Let me infiltrate the NCR outpost"

"You'll infiltrate it alone?" Marina said with a skeptical tone

"I can do it" the mercenary said with conviction "While I infiltrate the premises, you guys gather clues around town"

"You expect us you can do something like that?" Marina said "I know you're skilled and all but"

"You sure you can do this?" Vyse asked as he puts his hand in front of the sniper

"I can" Ellie said with a confident smile

"We'll do what we can" the knight sergeant replied "What time will you commence the operation?"

"In 1900 hours" she answered

"Good luck!" Vyse said as he gives the mercenary a spare portable radio

 **NCR Outpost, Near the Yao Guai Tunnels**

 **7:15pm:**

Crouching on top of a big rock overlooking the outpost, Ellie scouts the enemy base

"Can't see a thing" She thought to herself as she activates her 'eagle vision'

She spots several figures covered by a red aura. But one figure catches her eye. Instead of a red aura, he was covered by a golden aura, this was the first time she ever saw a golden aura around a person.

"Should I…?" She thought "Eh. What the hell"

The mercenary then performs a leap of faith and lands just behind a medical tent. Amazingly, none of the troopers were able to suspect the infiltration.

Attaching a silencer to her 9mm pistol, the mercenary sneaks from cover to cover, trying to get close to her 'golden' target. Using ammo crates, barrels and sometimes, even standing behind enemy soldiers, she slowly stalked her target as he arrives at his tent.

She made her way to the side of the tent and overhears the man's conversation over the radio.

"Sgt. Ramirez reporting in" the man said

"What's the status on Girdershade?" the man on the other end asked

"We have a total of at least 20 missing townsfolk and about 12 confirmed deaths, with all of their bodies being crucified when they were found." The man reported

"Is there any progress on the 'murderers'?" the other man said

"Yes sir" the man replied "We have arrested 5 people, one of which is an elderly man by the name of Ronald Laren. We have reason to believe that these men are behind the kidnappings and are using them as a means to stir the masses against the NCR"

"Believe…?" Ellie silently muttered

"Have you uncovered any evidence?" the other man asked

"Mostly circumstantial" the man replied "We have letters, statements and even from his own tongue, a few weeks ago, that he was anti-NCR"

"Good. Find enough evidence to convict these people and maybe we can finally bring some peace & quiet to that town and show those people we actually mean no harm…"

Having heard enough, the young mercenary proceeds to the prisoners' pen, just a short distance away.

She neutralizes the 2 guards by choking them until they fall to the ground unconscious.

She approaches a sleeping Laren, who was tied up to a pole, along with other prisoners.

"Hey" she whispered as she taps the old man's cheek

"Huh?" the old man muttered as he wakes up "You"

"Mind telling me why everyone thinks you and these guys are the murderers?"

"I dunno" the old man replied "But I did overhear one of the guards talking about the 'ghoul problem"

"Ghoul problem?" Ellie wondered "You know the guard?"

"Yeah… He's a ranger. Look for a guy wearing an overcoat and some weird mask. Last I saw him; he was headed south, exiting the camp"

"Right thanks" the young mercenary replied "Let me get ya out of those restrains"

"Don't bother" the old man said "If you let me and these guys out, it'll just make us even more guilty so you better find evidence that'll prove our innocence and make it fast"

"Alright…" Ellie reluctantly said "…I'll get you out, I promise!"

The mercenary then proceeds to the direction the ranger went.

Thanks to her 'eagle vision', the mercenary quickly locates her target, who was also covered with a golden aura…

In a few minutes, the man enters the Yao Guai tunnels.

 **Yao Guai Tunnels:**

Once inside the tunnels, Ellie notices that the entrance is tightly guarded.

She knew she could neutralize the guards but in doing so, she could arouse the suspicion of the troopers inside.

She then notices high up in the wall, a hole that could easily fit her and it appears to extend further into the cave.

Wasting no time, the mercenary effortlessly climbs the wall and enters the hole. It was better than she thought. Her elevated position gives her a much wider view of the cave and this enabled her to stalk her golden target without worrying about being spotted by the guards.

Minutes later, the ranger meets with 4 other soldiers, one of which Ellie recognizes almost immediately.

"Gusurg…" she muttered silently

The former Lyons' Pride trooper, wearing a highly customized metal armor, was there and it seemed that he had a hand in the disappearances in Girdershade.

"So, how are those 'murderers'?" the traitorous knight asked

"Incarcerated" the ranger answered "Command is looking for evidences to be used against them"

"Good…" the knight said with a sinister tone "Now to Phase 2. You now what to do, right?"

"Yes…" the ranger replied

Gusurg and the other soldiers then open several crates. Using her binoculars, the mercenary sees that they were leather armor, all of which had the insignia of the Sons of Liberty.

"We ravage that little town tomorrow morning!" the former knight said with a sinister grin

"They're planning on attacking Girdershade!?" the mercenary thought "I need to tell the others!"

As the mercenary was about to make her exit, a bullet whistles just in front of her. Turning around, she sees Gusurg fired his Service Rifle.

"You think I haven't noticed you there" the treacherous knight said with a grin

"Kill her!"

Immediately, the other troopers began to open fire on the mercenary.

Acting quickly, she jumps down from her position and plunges her hidden blades on 2 troopers. She then draws her Varmint rifle and quickly eliminates the trooper to her right before he could even raise his rifle.

Quickly turning around, she lands a bullet on another trooper's head as the rest of the soldiers converge on her and begin hammering her position with lead.

Hiding behind a rock wall, the mercenary is pinned down by enemy fire.

She then hurls a frag grenade towards the troopers attacking from the entrance.

Breaking cover, she quickly fires a shot at the troopers coming from deeper into the cave, and lands a bullet on a trooper's knee.

Throwing another frag grenade at them, the mercenary quickly runs to the entrance.

Once she was outside, the mercenary is confronted by the treacherous knight.

"Gusurg…" she muttered

The former knight simply chuckles as he says "Well, well, if it isn't the rebel from the east…"

"You son of a bitch!" the mercenary shouted "I'll kill you!"

"Oooh. Scary" the knight mockingly stated "Well then, why don't you try?"

Both soldiers then cock their respective rifles and prepare for their impending fight.

Gusurg fires the first shot as the mercenary quickly jumps sideways. She then returns fire with her rifle which Gusurg narrowly dodges. Both soldiers then hide behind tall rocks, opposite of each other, all the while firing potshots from time to time.

Eventually, a squad of NCR troopers, about 5 men, arrived; they had heard the gunshots from the outpost.

"What's going on?" one of them asked

"An insurgent!" Gusurg responded as he points at Ellie's position "She's hiding behind that rock!"

The NCR troopers began to form a perimeter and begin hammering Ellie's position.

"Damn it!" she muttered

The mercenary's attempts to find a grenade were futile as enemy fire became fiercer by the minute.

"SHIT!" she shouted as she holsters her rifle and pulls out her pistol "Looks like am gonna have to shoot my way out!"

Seconds later, the bullets stopped flying. The area was silent. Ellie knew, from the sound of the footprints, the NCR troopers were slowly making their way to her. She cocks her pistol and prepares for a tough fight.

"No one lives forever…" she muttered as she breaks cover

To her surprise, a bullet lands on one of the NCR trooper's head, the mercenary hadn't even pointed her gun yet. A second bullet then whistles past her and pierces the throat of another. The remaining troopers then scramble to look for the source of the shots while one points his rifle at the mercenary, who promptly drops her weapon and raises her hands, leaving her fate in the hands of whoever was shooting. In the ensuing chaos, Gusurg disappears into the darkness of the night.

It didn't take long before another bullet hits a trooper by the knee. The man screamed in pain but before his partner could help, another bullet lands on his chest. Alerted, his partner quickly turns from side to side, desperately looking for the shooter. One could feel his anxiety and hear him breathe as if he had finished running a 15km marathon.

Seconds later, the man spots a shadow in a small hill and immediately, shoots at it like a panicked civilian. Putting his rifle down, the trooper turns his flashlight on to see the target he had just shot.

To his dismay, it was a dummy. He had no time to feel despair as a bullet drills through his skull, seconds later.

After his body reaches the ground, a person emerges from the shadows. Seeing the unknown individual, the last trooper raises his rifle, his hands were clearly shaking.

"D-Don't move!" he shouted as he aims his rifle "P-Put your hand in the air!"

"Requista im pace" the figure said as he quickly draws his silenced pistol and lands a bullet on the trooper's head.

With all of the troopers dead, the figure walked closer and the light of the moon revealed a hooded individual wearing a mask. His clothes were something the mercenary had never seen before.

Long robes, that looked like the robes worn by Brotherhood Scribes, with a weird hood, which was designed to cover the upper part of the individual's face. It was the first time she had ever seen such clothes before.

"Thanks for saving me" the mercenary said as she picks up her pistol "So who are you?"

"A friend…" the hooded figure replied "You're looking for proof of the innocence of those men, right?"

"Y-Yeah" Ellie answered

"Here" the figure said as he hands over a holotape and some documents "This all the proof you need"

"Uh… Th-Thanks…" the mercenary nervously said as she listens to the contents of the holotape

* * *

"Is the deed done?" a man with a deep voice said

"Yes it is" another replied, the mercenary quickly realized the other voice is Gusurg, "Those poor saps are gonna have a rude awakening tomorrow when they see that poor bastard's body hanging on that cross in the morning!"

Gusurg then laughs almost as if he sad a funny joke.

"Good…" the man replied "Once the townsfolk begin to 'talk to each other', plant these evidences on the people on this list"

"Are they anti-NCR?" Gusurg asked

"Yes" the man answered "They're the few anti-NCR residents that we've confirmed. And if this plan flies, we'll snuff out the flame of rebellion in this place and solidify the NCR's grip in this area"

"You're a sly bastard, Dominic" Gusurg said

"Haha. By tomorrow, the NCR would have either killed or incarcerated every single one of those insurgent loving assholes" Dominic muttered as both men laugh and the recording ends.

* * *

"The NCR is not directly responsible for these crimes" the figure explained "They were orchestrated by an independent group of men"

"Independent group of men?" Ellie wondered

"A group of power hungry individuals who manipulate the system" the figure said "But you don't need to know that. For now, freeing that town is your highest priority, right?"

"Y-Yeah…" Ellie replied "But if the NCR isn't behind those kidnappings and murders, then how will we inspire the people to revolt?"

"I said the NCR is not directly responsible" the figure replied

"What are you getting at?" the mercenary asked

"Come with me" the figure answered "It's easier if you see it yourself"

Despite her doubts, this man did save her life. So the young mercenary decided to follow him.

 **On top of Girdershade:**

 **A few minutes later:**

The mercenary and the figure look down upon the town from the destroyed highway. Despite the NCR's curfew, the townsfolk were gathering at the square.

"What's going on?" Ellie asked

"While you were gone, some 'insurgents' have started to riot around town" the figure replied "If we don't stop this, the NCR will use this as an excuse to purge the town"

"Huh?" Ellie wondered "How did you know about that?"

"I have my ways" the figure answered "For now; see that man in the center"

The figure then points downward towards a man standing in the middle of the crowd, he was wearing pre-War business attire & was addressing the crowd like he's leader of the rioting townsfolk.

"What about him?" Ellie asked

"He's our target" the figure answered "He's the mastermind behind the murders"

"What!?" Ellie uttered

"That's Dominic" the figure continued "Bastard is planning to send most of these people to their graves!"

"But killing him in front of all those people" the mercenary nervously said "I don't think that's a good idea. Besides, I need to get in contact with my teammates!"

"No time" the figure replied "We have and can do this ourselves! Now follow my lead"

Following the hooded figure's lead, Ellie drops down from the destroyed highway and lands on a roof, a few feet down. They then jump from roof to roof, post to post, attempting to reach a far away location at the edge of town. All the while, the young mercenary couldn't help but be impressed by the figure's athletic ability, despite wearing a robe.

 **Near a small shack, Northeastern edge of town:**

The two individuals rest in a roof of a building standing near a small shack.

"What's in here?" the mercenary wondered

"That is shack connects to the speakers around town" the figure answered "We simply neutralize the guards and the operator and play the holotape on my signal"

"Alright" the mercenary said "So how will we deal with-"

But before she could finish her sentence, her radio suddenly came to life. Lowering the volume, Ellie answers the call.

"Ellie where are you?" Vyse said on the other line

"Vyse?" she said "What's going on in town? Why's there a riot?"

"Some guy suddenly began rambling about how the NCR was behind the kidnappings and murders!" the knight sergeant answered "A lot of the townsfolk believed him and rioted because of that!"

"Really?" Ellie replied "Where are you? Where's Marina?"

"I'm inside the inn" he answered "Marina's gone off somewhere!"

"Where did she go?" Ellie asked

"Sorry" he replied "I don't know… But she did say something about the speakers"

Ellie then looks at the figure who simply nodded at her.

"I think I have an idea" the mercenary said "You sit tight in that inn and prepare for a fight"

"Roger" Vyse answered

"Marina should be here…" Ellie said as she looks around but fails to find her teammate

Wasting no time, she activates her 'eagle vision' and spots an individual covered with a blue aura, nearing the shack.

"There she is!" Ellie said as she points at Marina's direction.

"Let's move" the figure said

The individuals then converge on Marina and successfully meet up with her.

Landing in front of the sniper, the mercenary says

"Marina, what are you doing?"

"Out of my way, Ellie" the sniper answered "I found these holotapes incriminating those NCR bastards and I'm gonna broadcast it for the town to hear."

"The NCR?" the mercenary wondered as she looks at the holotapes

"Where did you find these?" the figure asked

"Who the hell are you?" the sniper said with an intimidating leer

"He saved my life" the mercenary answered "He gave me evidence that the man leading this riot is behind the kidnappings, not the NCR"

"Bullshit" the sniper angrily uttered "Why would he do these heinous crimes and then rebel against the NCR?"

"These holotapes" the figure said "They're fakes"

"What makes you say that?" the sniper asked

"This" Ellie answered by showing the holotape the figure gave her.

"How sure are you he can be trusted?" the sniper asked "He may have 'saved' your life, but what if it all was a trick?"

Caught off guard, the mercenary could only utter "I…uh…"

"It's up to you" the figure said as he turns to Ellie "Just remember, whichever recording you play will have a profound effect in this town's future"

The figure then climbs the wall of the building, leaving the mercenary alone with the sniper.

"So" Marina said "Do you trust his word?"

What should she do? Should she trust this man who she just met?

She pondered for a while but she eventually said "I trust him"

Surprised, the sniper uttered "You do!?"

"Yes" the mercenary answered "A few people have told me that the NCR isn't completely evil. And I have seen that there are also evil people outside of the NCR. It would be unfair to antagonize the NCR in something they did not do"

The sniper stood there silent. It was almost as if she was remembering something. She closes her eyes and says "You're right…"

The sniper looks up in the night sky and reminiscence some very old memories…

* * *

I lied about my age. I'm actually more than 40 years old. I was born in New California. My mother and father were roving traders, they owned their own caravan. For most of my life, we would travel around places and sell the shit my parents find in ruins and old vaults. It was a happy time despite the fact that we were nomads.

Then in 2281, while we were travelling in the Mojave, the caravan was attacked by a group of legionnaires. These guys were the regular foot soldiers of Caesar's legion. I think Vyse has already told you about them.

Long story short, they captured us and I watched in horror as those bastards crucify my parents. It was painful. Seeing your loved ones die a slow and painful death before your eyes. I was supposed to be handed over as a slave but later that night; a legionnaire opened my cage and escorted me out of the Legion's fort.

From there, I travelled from place to place until I was recruited into the Brotherhood of Steel…

* * *

"The fact that the victims were crucified brought back such painful memories to me" the sniper continued "The feeling of helplessness as people around you die… I didn't want to experience that again…"

"Well" the mercenary said as she places her right hand on the sniper's shoulder "You don't have to face it alone. You got your teammates who are always looking out for you. We'll solve these murders and bring these guys to justice"

The sniper smiles as she gives a reassuring nod to the mercenary.

Wasting no time, the mercenary climbs the side of the building.

"hey" Marina said "Thanks"

The mercenary did not utter a word and simply smiled

"Oh and one more thing" the sniper said "Next time, make sure you guys check the volume of the radio before contacting someone"

"Y-You heard it?" Ellie said nervously

The sniper simply gave her a wink

With that, the mercenary proceeds to meet up with the hooded figure.

"You ready?" the figure asked

The mercenary simply nodded as the hooded figure moves closer and neutralizes both guards with ease. Breaking down the door, the figure throws a dart, which hits the operator's neck and he passes out.

Inserting the holotape into the player, Marina catches up to the duo.

"Perfect" Ellie said "You play the holotape once I radio in"

"Right" the sniper replied as she changes the frequency of the ham radio

"Let's go" the figure said as the duo make their way to the town's square

 **Girdershade Town Square, 8:30pm:**

Standing in the roof of a large building, the duo observe as the crowd becomes more unruly as NCR soldiers flock to the area and attempt to pacify the uprising. Their target, Dominic, was standing in the middle of the crowd spouting anti-NCR speeches to the crowd.

"This is getting out of hand…" Ellie said "It's only a matter time before this ends in a bloodbath"

As the duo silently observe the crowd below, the hooded figure notices a man, armed with a cowboy repeater, stand in the roof across them.

Acting quickly, the figure grabs his silenced Sniper rifle and fires a shot. The gunman was hit in the chest. Unfortunately, his body drops down onto the crowd. That one body was enough for the crowd to take their riot to the next level.

"NCR bastards!" shouted one of the individuals as the crowd charges towards the NCR troops like a Spartan army charging towards the Persians.

"This is bad…" the figure said "We need to pacify this situation"

It did not take long before NCR troops began to fire their rifles.

"We need to find Dominic!" the figure said

"How about the crowd?" The mercenary asked "They're getting massacred!"

"Signal your friend to broadcast the holotape!" the figure quickly replied "Hopefully it'll calm them down!"

"Right!" Ellie said as she grabs her radio "Marina! Start the broadcast!"

As the sniper begins broadcasting the holotape, the duo begins their hunt on Dominic, with the help of Ellie's 'eagle vision'.

They spot him escaping the crowd and headed to the town's crop fields, along with 2 other soldiers.

 **Girdershade Crop Fields:**

Like a pair of cheetahs chasing their prey, the duo ran as fast as they could to catch up to their target.

"Assassins!" Dominic shouted as he sends his two guards to attack the duo "Get them off my back!"

The two soldiers then began to open fire with their assault carbines on the duo.

The duo splits up as Ellie goes prone and uses the crops as cover while the hooded figure hides behind a makeshift barn house. The two soldiers do the same and split up as they continue to hammer Ellie's and the figure's location.

The mercenary quickly draws her rifle and tries to take a shot at her attacker.

She misses and after quickly reloading, the soldier continues to unleash his fury upon the mercenary.

The mercenary then activates her 'eagle vision' and aims down her scope. She sees the familiar red aura coming from behind the crops. She aims carefully, hoping this shot would hit. If she were to miss, it would spell the end for her.

Meanwhile, the hooded figure leans by the barn's edge as the soldier draws closer. Acting quickly, he breaks cover and grabs the soldier by his shirt. The soldier responds by quickly raising his rifle, only to miss his shot after the figure swings his right arm on the rifle. He then unleashes a flurry of punches on the man. But the soldier still stood strong and drew his pistol. The figure quickly grabs his hand and rested control of the firearm from the man. And like a football player, the figure rams the soldier, forcing him to fall to the ground. Before the soldier could recover, the hooded figure drew his .45 auto pistol and embedded a .45 +P round on the soldier's head.

On Ellie's side, the enemy soldier drew closer to her position as she still struggles to adjust her aim.

"I got you now…" the soldier uttered

Taking a chance, the mercenary squeezes the trigger and her rifle unleashes a single 5.56mm bullet from the muzzle. Amazingly, the bullet hits the man in the chest. Still alive, he fires his fully automatic rifle on the crop field. Quickly rolling to the side, Ellie draws her 9mm pistol and drills another 9mm round on the enemy's chest, the soldier drops to the ground dead.

Recovering from the attack, the duo quickly resumes their hunt.

 **Forsaken Dunwich Ruins:**

The duo tracks down their target inside the 'haunted' building and gave chase.

Reaching the terminal, containing the Herman Granger entries, the ruins echoes with the voice of their target.

"So they send in two to eliminate me…"

"Show yourself asshole!" Ellie shouted "I got a bullet with your name on it!"

"Ooooh" he tauntingly uttered "Never thought I would be tracked down…"

Using his voice to pinpoint his position, the duo looks through a hole in the roof and spots their target.

"You were careless" the hooded figure said "This is the end!"

"A minor setback" he replied "But can't say the same for you"

The room is then filled with the familiar cries of a certain irradiated monster.

"Bastard!" Ellie shouted

"Good bye, Assassins" he said, taunting the duo, as a horde of feral ghouls

"I'll hold them off!" the hooded figure said "You go after Dominic!"

"You sure?" the mercenary asked

"I can handle myself" he replied

"Ok. Don't die" the mercenary said as the hooded figures gives her a boost up.

 **Virulent Underchambers:**

Chasing after her target, the mercenary maximizes her skill in parkour as she jumps over obstacles and climbs walls.

Soon, she corners her target at the obelisk. Despite the area being highly irradiated, Dominic opts to make his land stand by the obelisk.

"It's over" the mercenary said

"It's never over" he replied with a sinister smile "Cut me down, there will be more ready to replace me! Like a hydra!"

"What do you mean?" she asked

"You don't get it" he replied "All of this. We are the architects of the world! Soon! There shall be one world order! And the pure-blooded humans will reign over this depraved world!"

"No" the mercenary said as she raises her pistol "You're just a madman"

She fires one shot but Dominic manages to dodge it. He brings out a syringe from his coat and shouts "ONE MIND! ONE BODY!"

He injects himself with the unknown syringe and almost immediately, he begins to convulse and throw up. He was mutating and Ellie knew that she had to end him before his mutation is completed.

Grabbing her rifle, the mercenary zeroes in on the creature's head and fires a shot. Unfortunately, her bullet lands on what appears to be a tentacle.

"Shit…" she frustratingly muttered

She was too late. Dominic had mutated into a huge muscular creature. He grew to the size of a Super Mutant Behemoth. His hands have become something akin to hammers and his body is swarming with tentacles.

The creature unleashes a loud roar before charging towards the mercenary. Ellie quickly dodges to the left and opens fire with her rifle and pistol but her bullets hardly faze the abomination.

For the next few minutes, she would fire potshots at the beast while dodging all of his attacks. The cave then partially collapses and a couple of stalagmites fell to the cave below with some managing to hit the creature.

"Damn it!" the mercenary muttered "What does it take to bring this bitch down!?"

Her attention was then drawn to a voice calling to her, "HEY!"

Behind the creature was the hooded figure.

"Hey!" she shouted "Little help here!"

"Conventional weapons are almost useless on it!" the figure said "Step back!"

The figure then brings out a fatman and fires a mini nuke, hitting the monster by the groin or what looks like the groin…

But even with the awesome firepower of the nuke, the creature was still standing!

The creature unleashes a roar as it grabs the hooded figure and throws him into the cave. Hitting the wall, the figure drops the fatman and the mini nukes scatter all over the place.

"You alright?" Ellie said as she checks on the figure, whose mask is still keeping his identity a mystery

"I'm fine" he replied "Use the fatman! I think it can hurt that bastard! Go!"

Wasting no time, the mercenary grabs the fatman and fires one mini nuke, hitting the creature in the chest.

The monster steps back as he feels the impact of the nuke but whatever damage he received merely made him even angrier.

Running towards the obelisk, the mercenary picks up another mini nuke and fires it, the nuke hits the giant barely close to her position and her Geiger counter began to beep loudly and her body begins to feel the negative effects of radiation poisoning but the mercenary notices that the creature was getting weaker.

Ignoring her pain, the mercenary grabs another mini nuke and carefully aims the weapon.

"Rot in hell" she said as she fires the fatman

The mini nuke then lands on the monster's head, blowing it to pieces.

With the head gone, the entire body falls to the ground dead.

With the threat gone, Ellie returns to the figure.

"Y-Y-You ok…?" she asked as her Geiger counter warns her that she was close to the maximum radiation threshold.

"I'm fine…" the figure answered "But you need to do something about those rads…"

"I-I-I'm fine…" she said while trying to hide her pain

"You don't have to act all strong, here" the figure said as he hands her some Radaway and Rad-X

Taking the chems, Ellie felt a little bit better. Although her Geiger counter still indicates that she has a total rad count of 260.

 **Vicinity of Girdershade,**

 **12:15am:**

The mercenary and the hooded figure look over at the town and they notice something new…

The flag, which stood at the entrance, has changed.

From the flag of the two-headed bear, it was now the flag of the Sons of Liberty.

"Looks like Girdershade is part of the Sons of Liberty now" the figure said

Seeing the flag, the mercenary couldn't help but smile at the sight. The hooded figure then turns around and begins to walk the other way.

"Hey" Ellie said, noticing the figure was leaving "Where are you going?"

The figure turns his head and says "I got other things to do. Good luck with your rebellion"

Ellie smiles as she says "Thanks. I hope we meet again. What's your name?"

"My name?" the figure uttered "It's not important. May we meet again…"

"Right…" the mercenary said as the hooded figure walks into the wasteland


	11. Battle of Evergreen Mills

**Fort Bannister, The next day:**

The once barren fort is now teeming with insurgent activity as rebels from Girdershade, Big Town and even Germantown Police HQ converge on the old fort to begin preparations for their attack on the NCR supply base in Evergreen Mills.

Although some of the rebels aren't particularly comfortable with working alongside Super Mutants…

 **Commanding Officer's Quarters, 9:00am:**

Sentinel Maxson and the representatives of Girdershade, Big Town, Arefu and the Super mutants gather at the newly refurbished briefing room to discuss their plans in attacking the NCR supply base.

"Alright" Arthur stated as he activates a holo projector, that shows the area map of Evergreen Mills, "Our latest intel shows that the enemy supply base is heavily guarded by the Rangers. Their snipers are armed with anti-material rifles, chambered in .50 caliber armor piercing bullets. Their foot soldiers have either a Service Rifle or an Assault Carbine, with varying attachments and customizations. There are also planted MG nests in and around the perimeter of the base. Also, judging from the distortions in some of the areas in the base, we could only theorize that there are a couple of soldiers equipped with either stealth boys or stealth suits. Finally, they seem to have some mortars, pre-War weapons that can fire an explosive from a far like a howitzer but is small enough for a single infantryman to carry."

"Damn…" Red uttered "That base is locked down pretty tight… How do you expect us to get through?"

"Although our bodies are tougher than a human's…" Fawkes added "…We will not be able to withstand that much firepower"

"With any luck…" Arthur replied "We can take that base with minimal losses"

"How?" Vance, the middle-aged representative of Arefu & the family, asked

"If we can get a team into the base, at nighttime when most of the soldiers are asleep, and eliminate most of the threats, we can plow through that base without a scratch" the commander proudly answered

"But what makes you so sure the NCR won't be prepared for a night raid?" Red asked

"In the past few years of fighting them" the commander answered "I noticed that most of the regular soldiers aren't used to sleepless days, they almost always need sleep to function properly. We can use that to our advantage as the most likely candidates to be awake are the Rangers, some officers and a few night watchmen. The rest would be sleeping like babies in their beds"

"If it's a night raid you want" Vance added "My accomplices will be more than happy to assist"

"Thanks" Arthur replied "But no thanks. I need your men on the frontlines. I have a special squad in mind and I know that they can dent those defenses"

"As you wish…" Vance replied

The Big Town mayor was still skeptical as she said "The NCR should have noticed this flaw in their ranks by now… Don't you find it weird that they still didn't try to fix this problem, even though it's been happening for years?"

"True…" the commander answered "But a night raid is a better gamble than fighting the full brunt of their soldiers during the day…"

"You do have a point…" Red muttered

"If we go along with this plan" Fawkes said "Who will be the infiltrators?"

"I'll detach a small team from Lyons' Pride" the commander answered "Ellie, Vyse and Marina"

"Only those 3?" Laren muttered

"Yep" the commander proudly answered "They're the best soldiers I've ever had the pleasure of serving with. If anyone can pull off a successful and stealthy raid, it's them!"

"But how will they infiltrate the base?" Vance asked "The entrances are well-guarded and the cliffs are just too high for them to use"

"That's where you're wrong" The commander said "In the past few days, while those 3 were stirring up Girdershade, we found a lot of useful equipment, both pre-War and 'modern'. One of which is something called a grappling hook"

"Grappling hook?" Red wondered "What's that?"

"Some sort of pre-War tech that enables a soldier to climb down high places" Arthur answered

"But does anybody know how to use it?" the Big Town mayor asked

"Apparently, our little mercenary knows" the commander answered "She's training the others on how to use it already"

"She has quite the knowledge of pre-War tech…" Laren stated

"Yes she does" the commander answered

"So what time do we strike?" Fawkes asked

"Those 3 will begin their infiltration at midnight" the commander answered "The main force will attack on their signal! So tell your men to get rested cuz we have a long night ahead of us!"

 **Fort Bannister grounds**

 **By the destroyed building, 9:30am:**

Just as the Pride Commander said, the young mercenary has been teaching the other rebels on how to use the new device.

"Wow, Ellie" Vyse said in amazement "You sure know a lot about pre-War tech… Where'd you learn these kinds of stuff? We're you a prospector or scavenger or something?"

"Not really…" the mercenary answered "For some reason, I just know how to use a lot of these things…"

The Knight Sergeant raises one eyebrow as he said "Really? You don't know how you learned it but you just know?"

"Exactly" the mercenary answered with a straight face

Disappointed, the knight sergeant could only utter "…Fine let's leave it at that…"

Marina chuckled for a moment but neither soldier noticed it

"Also" Vyse added "Looks like another town joined our little resistance movement"

"Really? Which Town?" Ellie asked

"Some small town called Arefu" the knight sergeant answered "I don't really know the details but it's one of the few towns in the region that managed to maintain independence thanks to a gang called 'The Family"

"The Family?" Marina wondered

"As far as I know" Vyse continued "While we were at Girdershade, the guys from Big Town helped Arefu stop a NCR takeover of the town. In gratitude, the townsfolk and the gang that protects them joined us"

"Well isn't that convenient" Ellie said

"I know, right?" Vyse said "With this much support, we'll kick the NCR out of this place in no time!"

As the troopers resume their training, they heard someone shout "I'VE HAD IT!"

Curious, the three troopers flawlessly descend from the building via rappelling

"Nice one!" Ellie said as the three prompt the grappling hook to recover the rope.

"Let's go!" Marina said as the hook returns to the device's barrel

Reaching the source of the noise, they bear witness to a dire situation.

A tall Caucasian teenager is arguing with a Super Mutant

"Why are you green asswipes here anyway!?" the teenager mockingly said "Aren't all supposed to be dead already!?"

"Shut up, stupid human!" the Super Mutant, with a bandaged left eye, shouted "I can crush you like a bug, right now!"

"Why am I not surprised…?" Ellie muttered with disappointment

"…I guess there's still bad blood between humans and super mutants…" Vyse said

"Obviously" Marina said sarcastically "We only found out how docile these guys are, a few days ago. It's not like any animosity would go away overnight"

"I guess you're right…" Vyse replied

"Think you can take me on!?" the teenager said, cocking his 10mm submachine gun

"Bring it on, puny human!" the super mutant said as he brings out his tri-beam laser rifle and a crowd of humans and super mutants converge on the area, like how school kids gather in a schoolyard fight.

"This is bad…" Ellie muttered "If no one defuses this situation, it could end in a bloodbath"

The contenders cock their respective weapons and prepare for a duel to the death.

"We gotta stop this!" The mercenary said as she tries to intervene

But before she could do so, a group of teenagers, about 5 of them, intervened.

"You guys again!?" the Caucasian teenager said "Stay outta this! These muties should be taught a lesson!"

Upon saying that, one of the teenagers in the group walks up. He was a tall Caucasian young adult armed with an Assault Carbine, no attachments, and was wearing a Merc Veteran outfit with a cap & sunglasses. It looked like he was the leader of the group.

"Hey dumbass!" he said "You really want to cause this much trouble here?"

"What did you say!?" the teenager said as he aims his gun at the other teenager.

Acting quickly, the rest of the group draw their weapons and aim it at the teenager but the young man maintained his sights on the sunglasses-wearing teenager. This prompted the other spectators to draw their weapons.

Before things could get out of hand, another Super Mutant, who was shirtless, intervenes and says "Alright that's enough! We are all supposed to be united in our fight against the NCR! If we persist with this act of violence, we will never be able to capture the enemy base at Evergreen Mills!"

The teenager then gives an annoyed expression before putting his gun down and leaving, the crowd of teenagers then disperse and return to their respective work.

"Ha! You better run!" the bandaged Super mutant taunted

"As for you" the shirtless Super Mutant continued "You ought to be ashamed! We agreed that we would no longer harm any more innocent humans!"

"But he was making fun of me!" the Super mutant protested

"It cannot be helped…" the shirtless mutant replied "Their image of us is still dark. But if we work hard and show them how we have changed then, that is the time when these humans will realize how sincere we are and soon, they will stop mocking us"

The Super Mutant simply grumbled a bit and left as the crowd of mutants disperses.

Walking closer to the shirtless mutant, the young mercenary said "Good thing you managed to get the situation under control"

"True…" the super mutant answered "I am saddened that the humans still regard us as monsters. But it cannot be helped. Most of my kind has killed and pillaged these humans for a long time… Old wounds like that take time to heal…"

"True…" the mercenary answered "It's nice to see that you are trying to coexist with us…"

"Yes" the mutant answered "Although it may be a long time from now, but I do hope that someday, humans will be able to forgive us for our past sins and we could all coexist in peace…"

"I hope I see that noble dream come true…" the mercenary said with a smile "Can I get your name?"

"I am Uncle Leo" the mutant replied "I must go back and help with moving the supplies"

"Right, see you" the mercenary said as she waves goodbye

"You really think that's gonna happen?" Vyse wondered

"Honestly, I don't know" the mercenary answered "But I do hope it does…"

 **Evergreen Mills (NCR southern supply base), midnight:**

The three troopers stand ready as they have a clear view of the base…

"I have eyes on prey" Vyse said on the radio

"Acknowledged" Arthur replied on the other line "We'll strike once you achieve the objectives! Mission is a go!"

With that, the troopers pull out their silenced weapons, Ellie's varmint rifle; Marina's Hunting rifle and Vyse's R91 assault rifle. They each take aim at 3 Rangers, one was patrolling on top of the building, another was in a watchtower at the center of the camp and the 3rd one was in another watchtower at the eastern side of the camp. Firing simultaneously, they each silently eliminate their targets.

With the snipers neutralized, Ellie positions her sights on the radio operator, sitting in a tent inside the cage. She fires her shot and lands a bullet on the soldier's head. To the mercenary's surprise, there was another soldier inside the tent and he notices the kill. Running on adrenaline, the mercenary quickly aligns her sights onto her new target before he could warn the other troopers of the danger.

Fortunately, Marina managed to eliminate the trooper before he could even turn the radio on! And as a precaution, the sniper shoots the radio as well.

Moving on, the three troopers then rappel downward and made their way to the storage sheds, conveniently placed by the old rusted trains, all the while eliminating any obstacles that got in their way.

Reaching the storage sheds the troopers notice that there were fewer weapons and supplies than originally thought.

Having no time to wonder, they begin to sabotage the weapons stored inside, except for the mortars which they carried towards the place where they landed. With the mortars and storage sheds secured, the troopers then crept their way towards the entrance, eliminating as many soldiers as they could. Seeing the enemy MG nests, the troopers proceeded to covertly eliminate the gunners using their rifles.

It was almost too easy as the troopers managed to achieve their objectives in less than 30 minutes. Hiding behind the place where they hid the mortars, Vyse picks up his radio and says

"Pincer maneuver is a sure go!"

 **Vicinity of Evergreen Mills, Main attack force**

 **12:25am:**

With Vyse's confirmation, Arthur signals the rest of the rebels to begin the assault.

With one flare in the sky, the rebels begin their charge, ready to do their share in the mission!

As the first set of rebels nears the entrance, the MG nests suddenly come to life and begin to open fire on the rebels.

Like dominos, the first few groups of rebels fell to the ground as bullets rain upon the unsuspecting militia.

Surprised, the Pride Commander could only utter "WHAT THE HELL!?"

"Those MGs were supposed to be silent!" Elysse said as she looks through her binoculars "I'm seeing fire from the top of those hills! SHIT! We got stealth enemies!"

"Looks like they were expecting us…" The commander muttered "Shit! I should have been more careful!"

"We have no choice then!" Fawkes shouted "My brothers! We must protect our comrades! Form a wall and break through their lines!"

"Regroup!" the commander yelled in his radio "Turtle Formation! We can't back out now!"

Regrouping, the surviving rebels form a turtle formation with the Super mutants acting as shields for their non-mutant allies and resumed their charge towards the NCR base.

"Vyse!" Elysse said over the radio "The MGs aren't silent! Can you assist!?"

"We have our own problems!" Vyse replied

"What do you mean!?"

"We're pinned down by the cliffs!" the knight sergeant replied "No wonder it was easy! They were expecting us! Their main force was using stealth boys and stealth suits the entire time! The regulars are waking up and moving to the frontlines!"

"SHIT!" The Star paladin shouted

Arthur stood there silent as he looks through his binoculars

* * *

Eventually, the rebels finally reach the entrance and the Super Mutants begin to breach the enemy lines. The turtle formation, however, was hardly effective as the narrow pathway made it easier for the enemy soldiers, on higher ground, to gun down several rebels, including super mutants.

The rebels were suffering heavy losses as a combination of concentrated fire and explosives made the narrow entrance a death trap. Human and Super Mutant alike are gunned down in a hail of bullets and shrapnel.

Meanwhile on the other side of the battlefield, the three troopers were pinned down by enemy fire.

"We need to do something!" Ellie shouted "The main force is getting chewed up out there!"

"In case you didn't notice" Marina sarcastically replied "We're not doing so hot either!"

Activating her 'eagle vision', the mercenary counts more than 30 targets, coming from different places, hammering their position. The mercenary then fires potshots at the enemy forces, hoping to land a few kills.

"SHIT!" Ellie shouted as her rifle jams "Damn it! I just fixed this piece of shit this morning!"

"Last mag!" Vyse shouted as he reloads his rifle

It was becoming hopeless… Ellie's rifle jammed, Vyse was on his last mag and Marina was having trouble landing a hit with her rifle. And the mercenary still counts at least 25 tangos.

To the surprise of the trio, they see flashes of light on the hill, behind the trains. Through Ellie's ability, she sees several tangos go down. And the ones firing from the hill had a distinctive blue aura on them.

"Looks like we got here on time!" said one of them through the radio

"You guys are friendlies?" Vyse asked

"No shit" he replied "Name's Moss! One of Big Town's greatest troopers and this is my crew, the Stalagmites!"

"Stalagmites?" Ellie muttered

"Tag targets for us and we'll do the rest!" Moss enthusiastically said

"Roger!" the mercenary replied as she relays the enemy positions to their rescuers

Thanks to their teamwork, the two squads managed to eliminate the threat.

Meeting by the trains, the trio notices that their rescuers were the same group of teenagers who intervened on the scuffle that morning.

"Thanks for the rescue" Marina said as she shakes hands with the tall Caucasian teenager wearing a cap and sunglasses "I'm guessing you're Moss"

"Yep!" the teenager eagerly replied "Leader of this ragtag group of soldiers! Looks like you three owe us for saving your asses"

"No kidding…" Vyse muttered

"Vyse do you read me!?" Arthur calmly said over the radio

"We hear you" the knight sergeant replied "Thanks to a squad of teenagers, we're safe!"

"Good" Arthur said "Ellie, do you know how to operate a mortar?"

"Y-Yes!" the mercenary replied

"You just never run out surprises, do you?" Vyse sarcastically said

"Good!" The Pride commander said "Use those mortars to hammer the fortified enemy position by the entrance!"

"Roger!" Vyse replied

"No time to waste!" the mercenary said "Let's go!"

As the trio prepares to fire the mortar, more NCR troops arrive and begin to fire on their position!

"We'll keep em busy!" Moss said "You just focus on helping our guys at the entrance!"

"Alright we leave em to you!" Vyse replied

"Longshot!" Moss shouted "Top of the train! Eliminate high threats!"

"Copy!" the female sniper replied as she heads to her assigned position

"Hopper!" the leader continued "You're with me and Longshot! Eliminate any threat that gets close on both ends!"

"Gotcha!" the tall Asian trooper replied

"PeaceKeeper!" he continued "Frontlines! Hammer em on the left side!"

"Right!" the 5 foot tall Asian soldier replied as he positioned himself behind some sandbags

"Naga!" the leader said "Hammer the right side!"

"On the way!" The African-American trooper replied as he uses a crater as cover

Moss and Hopper then climb one of the trains and begin to open fire on both the left and right.

The team exercised skillful usage of firearms and tactics as they manage to keep the NCR at bay the entire time, all the while, never incurring any casualties.

Using the coordinates provided by Elysse, the trio unleashed a hail of mortars upon the NCR troops by the entrance. This gave a good enough opening for the rebels to flood the base. The battle finally turned in favor of the rebels as the enemy soldiers struggle to maintain their positions.

While the rest of rebel army mops up the remaining NCR troops, a small squad, consisting of Vyse, Ellie, Marina, Coby, Dallas, Kodiak and the members of Stalagmite, break into the mill to capture the enemy command post.

The troopers met fierce resistance as the NCR desperately defended every corner of the building.

 **Near the enemy command post:**

A narrow hallway separates the rebels from the enemy command post, and the commanding officer of the base. This was their last stand and the NCR furiously defended their final position.

Wearing a full suit of Power Armor and fully loaded miniguns, Coby and Kodiak acted as shields while the rest of the squad slowly moved from behind them. Luckily, the NCR's rifles merely dented their armor. It did not take long before the enemy command post fell to the rebels. However, the NCR commanding officer was not at the post when it fell to the rebels.

"Must have fled while we were fighting outside" Coby said "Fucking coward"

"No matter…" the mercenary replied "At least we took this base from them!"

 **Evergreen Mills, 3:30am:**

The fighting was over after nearly 3 hours. Despite incurring heavy losses, the rebels managed to wrest control of Evergreen mills from the NCR. The republic lost two divisions worth of Rangers and 3 divisions worth of regular soldiers that day, with a few managing to escape the onslaught and a handful of survivors taken as prisoner.

Arthur, Red and Fawkes were at the recently captured command post.

"So much death..." Red muttered as she looks through the window "...I hope all this shit is worth it"

"Either way" the commander answered "There's no turning back now... We've already provoked the bear"

Turning to the Super Mutant leader, the commander sorrowfully stated "Fawkes, I'm sorry about your fallen brethren..."

"There is nothing to apologize" Fawkes replied "My brethren died trying to redeem themselves. I am sure that many of them do not regret their actions"

The commander simply smiles as the three leaders look through the window...

 **Outside:**

Ellie scours the base, she sees nothing but death… Many soldiers, rebel and NCR, human and super mutant alike, lost their lives in taking this small derelict mill…

One particular scene managed to catch her eye…

She saw this teenager mourning over the body of a super mutant, whose left eye was bandaged. She then realized that this teenager was the same person who provoked that same mutant the day before. It was weird. Just yesterday he was mocking this super mutant and now, he's crying over his corpse.

Walking over to the young man, she asks "What's up? I thought you hated Super Mutants?"

"I do… I should…" he muttered as tears continue to fall "But he… I don't understand…"

"What do you mean?" the mercenary asked

The young man then told the story of the final minutes of this mutant…

 **Flashback:**

While we were getting slaughtered at the entrance, I was surprised to see that this mutant was protecting me from the bullets that kept on whistling past us… Why did he do that? After everything I said to him, he could have just allowed me to die… So why…?

When we finally managed to break through the entrance, I quickly joined the others in taking the guard houses, near the cages. I was supposed to die several times but that mutant kept on getting in the way and taking those shots for me… I lost count to how many times he was shot trying to protect me… He died of his wounds a few minutes after the battle was over…

He didn't say anything throughout the fight but in those last seconds he said "I have found peace…"

 **Back in the present:**

"I still don't get it… Why did he protect me? After everything I said, why did he do all that!?" The teenager said as he breaks down, crying.

"It's because they want to change…" the mercenary answered

"Huh?" the teenager muttered raising his head and staring at the mercenary, whose gaze was fixated at the deceased Super Mutant.

"Just because someone does something wrong to you, doesn't make them eternally evil" the mercenary explained "These mutants want to make amends on what they have done in the past and the battle today proved that…"

"What do you mean?" the teenager asked

"So many mutants died today…" Arthur said as he walks closer "When Fawkes, the mutant leader gave the order to become the shield of the humans, not a single mutant defied him… All of them willingly put their lives on the line for the humans, who would otherwise kill them if they had the chance…"

The teenager didn't ask any more questions. It seemed he understood the meaning behind the Pride Commander's words… He then continues to sob as he repeatedly says "I'm sorry" to the mutant.

The commander and the mercenary leave the boy to mourn for his loss.

The mercenary wanted to ask if the deaths of their comrades were worth it in taking this small mill but chose not to because she thought it was inappropriate…

With a serious tone, the commander suddenly said

"Whether we acquire our goal or not. Casualties will always be casualties… Are their deaths worth it? Well, I'd say that these soldiers don't deserve to die…But it is thanks to their sacrifice that we were victorious today. Sounds like a paradox right? I was the commander of these dead men and I, alone, will carry the burden of their deaths"

"Don't worry, commander" Ellie said, trying to reassure the commander "They died fighting for something that was worth dying for; the freedom of this land. And I feel that many died without ever regretting that…"

"You may be right…" the commander weakly replied

"So does this mean the NCR's grip on the south is weaker now?" the mercenary asked

"Yes" the commander answered "But that doesn't mean they're weak. We just gave them a couple of painful scratches."

"So where's our next target?" Ellie asked

"Once we gather more men and regroup" the commander answered "We deal a deep gash into these scratch marks"

"How?" the mercenary asked

"By taking back the Citadel and the Purifier" the commander answered


	12. The Southern Campaign

**Raven Rock, NCR Army HQ:**

 **Briefing Room:**

Inside the small room, were only two people; General Lee Oliver and his guest, the same hooded man he had met almost a month before.

"Your little 'toys' are hardly helping me control these bastards!" the general complained

"General…" the man said with a hint of arrogance "The only reason those suits failed was because you and your men are incompetent"

"What did you say!?" the general said, raising his voice

"A weapon is only as good as the soldier who wields it, don't you agree general?" the man answered "Besides, Evergreen Mills is only a minor setback"

"Minor setback!?" the general said "That base has been supplying our forces stationed in the south! With it gone, the rebels could overrun the entire southern region in a matter of weeks! And if they take back the Citadel, we'll have a full blown revolution in our hands! I'm demanding that you send your men down there right now and control the situation!"

"Patience my dear general" the man answered "Did you forget that we're also helping you maintain order at New Carolina and Tennessee"

Annoyed, the general answered "Then send a squad of your best men or something!"

"I'm sorry, general" the man replied "But I can't. There is a particular nuisance who is living in the Carolina Wasteland and we want him dead as soon as possible."

"The fuck!?" The general demanded "At least send me something to help me control this disaster!"

"Fine" the man answered "I will give you another 'toy' to play with. Make sure you give it to someone competent this time"

* * *

In the days that followed the capture of Evergreen Mills, the Sons of Liberty have gained a significant foothold in the southern and eastern regions. The NCR forces stationed in and around the DC ruins were struggling to maintain control of their respective areas as the Sons of Liberty focus their efforts in taking the southern region.

* * *

 **May 15, 2307 (1 week after Evergreen Mills)**

 **Fort Bannister, Briefing Room:**

 **11:45am:**

The members of Lyons' Pride gather by the holo projector to discuss the rebellion's next move.

"Once again" Arthur said "Good work at Evergreen Mills. Despite the heavy losses, we managed to take that supply base!"

"I just hope that mishap won't happen again…" Coby muttered

"Don't worry" the commander replied "The only reason why the enemy managed to catch us off guard was because we were a little bit too cocky. That and we completely ignored the intel on the stealth units. This time, we'll be much more cautious in any future battles"

"I hope you're right about that…" Marina uttered

"Anyway" Elysse said trying to divert the topic "What's our next move?"

"With the NCR's southern supply lines compromised" the commander briefed "Their bases to the south will start to struggle to maintain control of the populace"

"How so?" Coby asked

"I'm getting reports of a lot of anti-NCR activities in and around the DC ruins lately" the commander continued "But the radio station, Galaxy News Radio, is still under NCR control and they've been using that station to broadcast propaganda to the towns and cities around the Capital Wasteland ever since October 2306"

"So our next target is the radio station?" Kodiak asked

"Bingo" the commander answered "If we take that radio station and free Three Dog, we'll broadcast our own propaganda across the wasteland and inspire the populace to rebel. If things go right, we'll be united enough to start our own republic!"

"Republic?" Kodiak wondered "You think it's possible? Not even the Lone Wanderer was able to unite the entire Capital Wasteland…"

"Really?" the mercenary wondered as well "Wasn't the Capital Wasteland united under the Brotherhood of Steel?"

"Not necessarily" Elysse answered "The Brotherhood protected the people of the wasteland but that didn't necessarily mean that they considered us THE government. The wasteland was still divided into small towns and cities"

"Wow…" Ellie said "I didn't know that…"

"Judging from that" Vyse said "You haven't lived here long enough… Mind if I ask where you came from?"

"Where I came from…?" the mercenary muttered as vivid images of the unfamiliar wasteland, a laboratory and a vault begin to flash before her eyes…

The voices of unfamiliar people, their faces… The sound of gunfire, screams… The mercenary was having another episode…

Noticing the mercenary's distress, the knight sergeant quickly ran to her side muttering "Ellie!?"

"I…I'm fine…" the mercenary replied as she catches her breathe

"You ok?" Vyse asked "The same shit happened back at Paradise Falls… What's going on?"

"I… I don't know…" the mercenary answered "After you asked that question, those visions again… They… They've been popping up recently and… For some reason, seeing them makes me panic… I don't know why…"

"Could it be that you're suffering from something similar to Amnesia?" Dallas suggested

"Impossible" the mercenary answered "I remember parts of my childhood… All the way to when I became a mercenary"

"Mind if you tell us more about yourself then?" Elysse asked

"What?" the mercenary wondered

"I just need to confirm something…" Elysse replied "So will you tell us your story?"

The mercenary nods as she begins to tell her tale

 **Flashback:**

I was born in Wyoming, inside one of the vaults there… But I wasn't a vault dweller. The community I grew up in managed to find an abandoned vault and somehow was able to reactivate the vault's systems. I only knew my mom and I had no siblings. With the protection of the vault, we lived a peaceful life… We all thought that the vault would protect us forever… But we were dead wrong…

When I was about 14, men in power armor suddenly broke through the vault's door armed with a variety of weapons; plasma, laser, lead…

Some of us tried to resist but our bullets merely dented their armor… We couldn't do anything… I was shot in the shoulder and was forced to escape the vault. I never saw any of my friends and my mom again…

I wandered the wasteland until I was taken in by a group of mercenaries who taught me how to fight. They brought me to their base in Dallas, Texas. At first, I wasn't allowed to leave our base because the creatures would kill me if I come with them. Eventually, I became skilled enough to join them in their missions. For the next few years, I would do one job after another, all the while continuing my training.

One day, the NCR came rolling over Texas and like the other merc groups, we were assigned to help repel the republic…

During the Battle of Dallas, our squad was stationed in a destroyed building as the NCR plows through the city. We managed to catch the NCR by surprise and ambush them as they march past our position.

We had the momentum but what we didn't expect the NCR's next move… The remaining soldiers retreated and we thought we won the battle. As we were about to leave the building, a mini nuke detonates inside, instantly killing 3 men from our squad. Next thing I knew, mini nukes were exploding everywhere… If the explosion doesn't kill you, the radiation would…

I don't know how I managed to survive… I lost everyone I cared about…again…

My hatred for the NCR started that day.

With everyone dead and half of Texas taken, I decided to travel east. To my disappointment, the NCR kept following me wherever I went… I kept fleeing until I, eventually, reached the Capital Wasteland… And the NCR still followed me.

Having had enough of running, I decided to stay and stop the NCR once and for all!

 **Back to the present:**

"Hmm…" Elysse said "Looks like you have a grasp on what you've been doing the past few years… But what do you think Dallas?"

"I don't know…" the medic answered "Those visions that she sees could be a symptom of PTSD"

"PTSD?" Vyse wondered

"Post Traumatic Stress Disorder" Dallas answered "I read it in a pre-War book. Basically, if someone experiences a very traumatic event, they'll suffer from a lot of symptoms… Ellie's condition is one example…"

"So it's PTSD?" Kodiak asked

"Could be…" Dallas answered

"Anyhow…" Arthur said "PTSD or not, Ellie's a great addition to the team! For now, let's refrain from making her remember her past… We don't want another episode, do we? As for you Ellie, you gotta find a way to fight this. You're gonna have to face this problem of yours sooner or later…"

"Right!" Everyone responded

"Sorry for asking that stupid question…" Vyse said

"Don't worry…" Ellie replied "But I still want to know what these visions mean…"

Vyse simply smiles as the meeting continues.

"Anyway…" Kodiak said "Despite their supply lines being cut, the NCR still has a tight hold on the radio station. Taking it won't be easy…"

"Why don't we use the rebels from Girdershade, Big Town and Germantown?" the mercenary asked

"We can't" Elysse answered "NCR forces from the north have been attacking Fort Bannister, Girdershade, Big Town and Germantown for days now… They want to recapture Evergreen Mills. If we pull out even a few men from each town, the NCR can use the weakened defenses to their advantage and attack these vital locations. We cannot afford to lose those bases"

"What about Megaton? Grayditch? Fiore? Rivet City?" the mercenary suggested

"Despite the NCR's hold weakening" the commander answered "these towns have yet to rise up against the NCR…"

"Why aren't they revolting?" Ellie asked

"Rivet City has been friendly with the NCR from the beginning" Elysse answered "Megaton, Grayditch and all other towns still need a little more 'push' before they start rising up"

"What about Underworld?" Vyse suggested

"Not gonna happen…" Arthur replied

"Why not?" the knight sergeant wondered

"The Brotherhood doesn't really have good relations with those ghouls…" Arthur answered "For the past few years, a couple of Brotherhood squads have opened fire on the ghouls and they didn't really like being shot at for no good reason… They'll never help us, hell; they might even be more willing to help the NCR…"

"We gotta try" Ellie said "Do they hate all humans?"

"No" Arthur answered "They only dislike the Brotherhood… Anyone else is tolerated"

"Then let me talk to them" the mercenary suggested

"And why would you do that?" Arthur asked

"We need to move fast and secure the radio station so we can take the Citadel and the Purifier back" the mercenary explained "Then, we can advance to Raven Rock and kick the NCR out of the wasteland!"

"Forget it" Elysse said "We have a higher chance of taking the radio station ourselves than convincing those ghouls to help us"

"But…" the mercenary disappointedly muttered

"Those ghouls won't help us and that's that!" Elysse strongly said

The mercenary gave a disappointed look as the commander says "Alright"

Surprised, Ellie and Elysse uttered "What!?"

"I'll leave them in your hands then" the commander said with a smile

"What are you talking about, Arthur!" Elysse protested "We can't waste time trying to convince a group of people who hates us to help! We're better off trying something else"

"I have faith in her" Arthur said "I mean Ellie, Vyse and Marina managed to garner support from Girdershade. I have total confidence that Underworld would join us"

"But-" Elysse said

"No Buts" the commander interrupted "Knights Ellie, Vyse, Dallas and Coby would go to Underworld and garner their support! Also, you cannot wear any outfits associated with the Brotherhood. You'll all be wearing different outfits in order for the ghouls to allow you to enter their city. Good hunting you guys and I expect you to return with good news!"

"Right!" the 4 troopers responded

 **Dupont Circle Station, 4 hours later:**

Arriving inside the derelict station, the troopers turn on their flashlights and begin their trek into the dark subway tunnels.

"So does the Brotherhood hate ghouls or something?" Ellie asked

"It's not that we hate them…" Coby answered "It just that most of us can't tell the difference between a feral ghoul and a non-feral ghoul… With so many encounters and even loses, many of our men, hell even regular folks, tend to shoot first and ask questions later"

"It's not really the ghoul's fault either…" Dallas rebutted "…Ghouls were human once. They only became like that because of radiation…"

"You know anything about them, Dallas?" Vyse asked

"As far as how and why they became like that" she answered "I don't know. What I do know is that their anatomy is still the same as a humans, only difference is that they're slowly rotting. If this process reaches their brains, then that's when feral ghouls are born… Other than that, they're almost as human as you and me"

"So does that mean every ghoul would go feral some day?" Vyse asked

"I'm not sure…" Dallas replied "…But I hope that won't be the case… It'll only justify the prejudice and worse, create mass genocides of ghouls and ghoul communities…"

"Yikes…" Ellie muttered "Let's hope you're right about that"

As the troopers go deeper into the dark subway tunnels, they hear a distinctive snarl echo through the tunnels.

"Speak of the devil" Coby muttered as the troopers raise their weapons and slowly walked forward

With their flashlights shining in different directions, the team scours the tunnels for the source of the snarl, most likely feral ghouls. The tunnels were, surprisingly, empty.

"Not a single soul in sight…" Vyse muttered "…Think they ran off somewhere?"

"No clue…" Coby replied "… Keep your eyes peeled, they could suddenly pop up from the shadows"

"Huh…" Dallas muttered "… This is odd behavior even for feral ghouls…"

They then notice a closed steel door, with the words 'Do not open' written in blood. Next to it is a corpse of a NCR trooper; it seemed that he was stabbed in the stomach by a spear or a long sharp object.

"Should we open the door?" Ellie whispered

"Do it" Coby answered "Cock your rifles guys… There's no telling what's behind that door"

Opening the steel door, the mercenary creeps inside. The team then witnesses a gruesome sight… Blood and body parts of various animals, humans and even ghouls were everywhere and this was only in a small room.

"Holy shit…" Vyse muttered "Didn't know feral ghouls can do this kind of carnage…"

"Something isn't right…" Dallas nervously stated "Feral ghouls are aggressive and brutal but not THIS brutal… Something else caused these deaths…"

"Stay frosty Pride" Coby said "Dallas, close the door. Ellie, check the hallway"

As Dallas closes the steel door behind them, the mercenary creeps into the hallway, which was littered with entrails of different animals, humans and ghouls.

Finally reaching another room, the mercenary could hear the sound of something eating. She signals the others that there was something in the room.

Shining her Pip-Boy light, she was stunned at what she sees. A creature that looks like a feral ghoul was feeding on the remains of an unlucky NCR trooper. The creature had 2 blade-like appendages sticking from its back, apart from that; it looked like a normal feral ghoul.

Noticing the light, the 'ghoul' turns around and lets out a blood-curdling scream. The mercenary quickly fired her varmint rifle on its head. The creature merely flinched and made a mad dash towards the team. The entire team then unloaded their ammo upon the creature but it seemed that the abomination was resistant, if not impervious, to bullets and lasers

"The fuck is that thing!?" Vyse shouted as he continues to fire his Laser Rifle

"Keep shooting!" Coby shouted as he unloads his minigun upon the creature.

The creature then pounces onto Ellie and using its blade-like appendages, attempts to stab her head. Thankfully, the mercenary's reflexes managed to evade all of the creature's attacks.

"Ellie!" Vyse shouted as he and the rest of the team furiously fires their weapons on the creature "Die you piece of shit!"

As the creature flinches from the concentrated fire, the mercenary quickly draws her pistol and begins to unload an entire magazine onto the creature's chest.

Eventually, the creature finally collapsed to the floor dead.

With one more shot from her 9mm pistol, the mercenary checks the body to ensure that the creature was dead.

"It's dead…" she muttered

"The fuck is this thing!?" Vyse said as he looks onto the ghoul in disgust "Took a lot of rounds just to kill it!"

"I don't know…" Coby nervously replied "But if this is part of the ghoul's mutation, then shit's gone full circle…"

Dallas then opens her doctor's bag and acquires a few samples from the creature (blood, tissue and brain matter)

"What're you doing?" Ellie asked

"Collecting samples…" Dallas answered "… Once we get to a lab, I'll do what I can to check what this thing is…"

With the creature dead, the team resumes their trek to Underworld…

As they made their way into Metro Central Station, the mercenary's thoughts were filled with what had transpired a few minutes earlier…

"I had those visions again…" she thought "…Why did it look like I created them…?"


	13. The River Styx

**Metro Central Station, 6:15pm:**

After their encounter with the highly mutated feral 'ghoul', the squad continues their trek to the ghoul city, Underworld. They soon reach the remains of what was once called Metro Central Station. Almost immediately, they notice a small camp on the 2nd floor of the station and the familiar insignia of the two-headed bear is painted across the walls of the station.

"A NCR Camp…" Ellie whispered as she readies her rifle

With a grin, Vyse asks "Should we go and say hi?"

Coby ponders for a moment before saying "We go in nice and slow… Take em by surprise. Let's move Pride"

"Right" the others said as the squad slowly creeps towards the NCR camp.

Ellie took point as they climbed the derelict escalator. But as she reaches the top, she notices that there was not a single soldier in the camp, or at least around the campfire. Baffled, the squad slowly looks around the camp for clues and merely finds traces of blood, spent ammo and a few body parts.

"This doesn't look good…" Vyse muttered "…This kind of carnage… I'm guessing feral ghouls or worse…"

"…That mutant we encountered a few minutes ago…" Coby said, finishing the knight sergeant's sentence

With her flashlight, Dallas traces the blood trail into the tunnels, going further deep into the subway line.

"We have another problem…" she said "…The blood trail leads to the tunnels where our destination is…"

"So you think we'll encounter whatever creature ransacked this camp?" Vyse asked

"Most likely…" Dallas nervously affirmed

"If that's the case" Coby said "Keep your weapons loaded and your eyes open. No telling what's waiting for us in those tunnels…"

With their rifles loaded, the squad cautiously enters the subways tunnels. It didn't take long for the squad to discover what had happened to the NCR camp.

Reaching a split in the tunnels, Coby signals the others to stop. He then signals them to slowly proceed to the right tunnel. The other squad members obliged and soon, a familiar snarl could be heard.

Hiding behind the wreckage of a train, the mercenary whispers "Feral ghouls…?"

"…No…" Dallas replied "…You hear that tapping sound? Must be that creature…"

"This is not good…" Vyse whispered "…What should we do?"

Coby then takes a peek and is astounded by what he sees… It was the same creature that attacked them but it wasn't alone… He counted about 4 of them. Some were simply idling around the corners of the tunnel, others seemed to be feeding on the remains of the unlucky NCR soldiers stationed at the camp.

"Shit…" Coby whispered "…It's the same kind of ghoul that attacked us before only this time; I count about 4 of em…"

Everyone's heart skipped a beat after hearing the revelation.

"Let's move on ahead…" Coby whispered "…Keep quiet and watch yer step. Don't want these fuckers knowing that we're here…"

The other members nodded in response as the squad heads straight ahead.

Nearing another split in the tunnels, the team hears the sound of boots coming closer to their position. With sound being echoed throughout the tunnels, the squad prepares for the worst. They aimed their rifles at the right path and awaited the unknown individual to come closer.

Emerging from the right path was a lone NCR soldier. His uniform had slash marks and he was injured on his left arm.

"Wh-Who are you!?" he frantically shouted as he raises his 9mm pistol

Acting fast, Ellie quickly covers the trooper's mouth as a lone feral 'ghoul' emerges from the tunnel behind them to investigate the source of the noise.

"Keep quiet you idiot!" she angrily whispered "You wanna die!?"

The soldier quickly moves his head left to right, indicating his intention.

"Good" the mercenary responded "Now be a good boy and shut your fucking trap"

She then lets go of the trooper's mouth as the ghoul turns around and slowly made its way towards the squad's position

"Quick" Coby whispered "Into the service tunnel!"

The squad quickly enters the tunnel to escape the ghoul's sights.

 **Museum Station:**

"Shit…" Coby said as the sound of the closing steel door echoes throughout the station "I swear, these doors are extremely loud! We gotta go!"

With the loud snarl from at least 3 'ghouls', the squad frantically moved deeper into the station as the ghouls begin tapping on the steel door.

"Don't look back" Coby said "Keep quiet and keep moving"

Unfortunately, the NCR soldier trips on a baby carriage. The loud cries of a baby then start playing as the mercenary hears the distinct sound of a clock

"This is bad!" she shouted as she pulls the NCR soldier away from the carriage

Moments later, the carriage explodes. It did not harm any of the squad members but the sound of the explosion was enough to rile the ghouls.

In no time, the ghouls manage to destroy the steel door and proceed to chase the squad.

"Shit! They found us!" Vyse shouted as he aims his rifle "Open fire guys!"

"Oh hell…" Ellie muttered as she begins to fire her rifle

While the two soldiers stay behind to hold off the ghouls, Coby positions himself a few meters away and rests his minigun on top of some rubble.

"Vyse! Ellie!" he shouted "Fall back now! I'll cover you!"

"Right!" both troopers said as they retreat while Coby provides cover fire.

Dallas and the NCR trooper reach the 2nd floor. The medic then picks up a discarded Hunting Rifle and hands it over to the trooper.

"You!" she said "Help me provide cover fire!"

"Wh-What!?" the man nervously replied "B-B-B-But"

"Stay calm…" Dallas said, trying to comfort the man "…What's your name?"

"M-Marco…" he replied

"Well Marco…" she continued "…Were you part of that camp that was attacked?"

"Y-Yes…" he answered "Th-Those creatures suddenly appeared and slaughtered everyone…"

"Well…" Dallas continued "…If you don't help us, we'll all end up like your fellow soldiers and you won't be able to avenge them…"

The man was silent; his entire body was shaking… Was he thinking of running away or was he thinking of helping the squad?

"I-I understand…" he said as he grabs the rifle and begins to open fire on the ghouls.

The ghouls hardly flinched from the hail of bullets and lasers that the squad unloads on them.

"Damn it!" the mercenary shouted "What does it take to bring these bastards down!"

In an instant, one of the ghouls lunges forward towards the mercenary, ready to stab her with one of its appendages. The mercenary tried to shoot it but, to her horror, she had run out of ammo.

"SHIT!" she shouted shields her face with her left arm

"ELLIE!" Vyse shouted as he shields her from the attack

The creature's appendage burrows deep into the knight sergeant's stomach. He cries in pain as he tries to unload his rifle's magazine on the ghoul. The ghoul head explodes and the creature drops to the ground dead. With the ghoul dead, Vyse collapses into the floor, with the appendage still lodged in his stomach.

"VYSE!" Ellie shouted "Damn it!"

"Y-You ok?" the knight sergeant asked in a pained tone

"Idiot!" she replied "I had it covered!"

"As… if…" he said "…Glad to see you're ok"

"Stay with me!" Ellie shouted "Don't you dare die on me!"

The mercenary then carries the knight sergeant and places him next to Coby.

"Take care of him…" she muttered

"…What are you planning?" Coby asked

The mercenary didn't utter a word. The Brotherhood soldier stared at her for a moment and saw a face that was devoid of emotion and mercy.

She then drops her rifle and with a flick of her hidden blades, she charges towards the remaining ghouls.

"The FUCK!?" Coby shouted "The fuck are you doing!?"

The other soldiers quickly stopped firing as Ellie closes the distance between her and the ghouls.

Dallas and the NCR trooper quickly move towards Vyse's position and began to exercise first aid upon his wound.

Meanwhile, the mercenary lunges her hidden blades on one of the ghoul's chest area. The ghoul hardly flinched and attempted to stab the mercenary with its appendages. Surprisingly, she manages to dodge the blade-like appendages with astounding speed and subsequently, the ghoul ends up stabbing itself. She then delivers the final blow by firing her 9mm pistol, loaded with +P rounds, on the creature's face.

Now only 2 creatures remain… One of the ghouls then lunges its appendages towards the mercenary. Once again, she dodges the attack with breathtaking speeds.

Having trouble accepting the situation, Coby muttered "Since when was she like this!?"

That speed…" Dallas muttered "…No human can possibly go that fast… Her reflexes are also beyond normal…"

The other ghoul then attempts the same attack. This time, the mercenary dodges one appendage and grabs the other.

"N-No way…" Dallas muttered "Th-This is supposed to be impossible…"

The mercenary then uses all of her strength to drive that one appendage into the ghoul's face. Despite the ghoul resisting, it couldn't handle the ungodly strength demonstrated by the mercenary.

Only 1 ghoul remained. It attempted to cut the mercenary into little pieces but the mercenary managed to jump and slide across the numerous attacks like an athlete trying to get through to an obstacle course. Upon reaching the ghoul, Ellie grabs a plasma grenade and shoves it on the ghoul's mouth. She then pulls the pin and runs to a safe distance. The grenade detonates seconds later and the ghoul was nothing more than a steaming pile of green goo… The mercenary stood there, staring at the lifeless bodies of the ghouls… Her teammates and the NCR trooper were shaken at what they saw..

"Ellie?" Coby cautiously said as he slowly walks towards the mercenary

"Huh?" Ellie muttered as she turns around "Wh-What happened?"

Dumbfounded, Coby uttered "What?"

"What happened to those weird ghouls?" she asked

"You don't remember?" Dallas asked

"What do you mean?" the mercenary wondered

"You killed them…" Coby said "…At close range as a matter of fact… You were fast and your reflexes…"

"I did?" she said trying to remember what she had done just minutes before but fails

Letting out a disappointed sigh, Coby said "Nevermind… Point is those things are dead and were all safe for now"

Ellie stares at the lifeless bodies of the ghouls and, once again, vivid images begin to flash before her eyes… Images of her battle minutes before and several others that she does not recognize.

"I did… kill them…" she thought to herself "…But I wasn't in control… or was I…?"

"Vyse, how you holding up?" Coby asked as he walks closer to the knight sergeant

"Vyse!?" Ellie thought as she remembers what had happened to him

"I-I'm fine" he replied

"That's one deep wound you got" Dallas remarked "Hopefully, Underworld has some medical facilities for me to treat this wound…"

"That and you might need some radaway too" Ellie added "says here on my Geiger counter, you got 125 rads on you"

"…Yeah…" he answered

"Let's go guys!" Coby said "Underworld should be just outside this station! Let's move!"

"Right!" Everyone answered as Vyse uses Coby's shoulder to move.

As the squad prepares to move out, the NCR trooper approaches Dallas.

"Th-Thank you…" he said

"For what?" Dallas asked

"For inspiring me to fight…" he answered

"No problem" she replied "Your name's Marco, right?"

"Y-Yes ma'am!" he replied

"Right! Well let's get outta here before anymore of those creatures show up" Dallas said with a smile

"Y-Yeah…" he replied as he stares at her face

"What is there something on my face?" she asked

"N-No!" Marco nervously said as he looks away with a flustered face "I-It's nothing!"

Upon reaching the 2nd floor platform, more cries and snarls echo throughout the subway tunnels.

"This is bad…" Coby said "…Looks like we got more incoming!"

Almost immediately, another horde of feral 'ghouls' appeared.

"Damn it!" Coby shouted "Don't stop! Run!"

With Dallas, Ellie and Marco providing cover fire, the squad frantically moves towards the station's exit.

As they neared the station's exit, another feral 'ghoul' bursts through a door, positioning itself right in front of Coby.

"OH SHIT!" Coby shouted as the creature lunged one of its appendages towards the soldier.

"Coby! Vyse!" Ellie shouted as she tries to protect them but was too slow

Just that, the sound of a gun being fired echoed from the exit and the bullet grazes the ghoul. It was enough to flinch the creature into missing its mark.

"Move in!" a person with a deep male voice shouted "We'll cover you! Move now!"

Not thinking twice, the squad quickly moves to the exit. Their saviors are revealed to be 2 individuals, dressed in T-45d Power Armor; one was armed with an M1 Garand and the other with a Thompson submachine gun.

As the squad reaches the exit, one of them brings out a detonator and activates it. A couple of explosives then detonate, killing the remaining 'ghouls'.

 **Vicinity of Museum of History, 5:30pm:**

As the squad catches their breaths, the two individuals then remove their Power helmets, revealing a young Caucasian male and a young Hispanic female.

"Thanks for saving us" Coby said

"No problem…" the man replied as he turns around to shake hands with him "…It's the job of the Brotherhood to protect the people!"

Coby's eyes then widen as he sees the man

"So you're a member of the Brotherhood?" Ellie asked

"Yes we are!" the man enthusiastically replied "The name's Paladin James!"

"Paladin James…" Coby muttered "So you're Elder Lyon's son?"

"Oh yes I am…" he replied "Knowing that, it means you're a member too?"

"Actually…" Coby replied "We're all members… We're Knights Coby, Dallas and Vyse. And this is Knight Ellie, she recently joined"

"Hmmm..." James said "How about this guy. He's wearing a NCR outfit"

"He's a survivor we found..." Coby answered

"His name is Marco" Dallas added

"Well, well" James said "So what should we do with him? He IS NCR"

"He doesn't seem to be a threat" Dallas said

"You sure you want to take that chance, Dallas?" Coby said "He could turn his rifle on you when you turn your back on him"

"I-I won't!" Marco retorted

"You think I'd believe a half-baked lie like that?" Coby intimidatingly said

"I-I won't betray her!" Marco answered

"I'll take responsibility" Dallas said "He's no threat"

"Fine..." Coby said "But if he does anything suspicious, I'll execute him with a minigun myself!"

"Sure... go ahead" Dallas said

"W-What?" Marco muttered

"Well, well... This is a weird situation" James said with a smile "Nice to meet you guys! Oh and this is Audrey!"

"Knight Sergeant Audrey" the woman said with a hint of formality "Pleasure to meet you all"

"Excuse her" James said "She's into the whole 'formal' persona or some shit like that"

Not uttering a word, Audrey punches the Paladin on the back of his face

"Ow…" he said "…Fine sorry, sorry…"

"Anyway" Coby said "We have a casualty… We need to give him proper medical care soon"

"Alright then" James said "Let's get into Underworld then. I think Dr. Barrows can help take a look at her"

"Wait" Ellie said "You've been to Underworld? I thought they hated the Brotherhood of Steel?"

"Well…" James replied "It IS true that these guys hate the Brotherhood to the core, but they seem to give me some special consideration…"

"Special Consideration?" Ellie wondered

"Let's just say that I have a connection to these guys that no one else in the Brotherhood has…" he answered

 **Underworld; Chop Shop:**

As Dr. Barros, Dallas, Marco and Graves check on Vyse's injuries, the rest of the squad convene to talk about current events...

"So you guys are the famous 'Sons of Liberty'..." James said "Been hearing a lot about you guys..."

"Yeah... So now, we need to retake Galaxy News Radio and stop the NCR's propaganda..." Coby said "But to do that, we need the support of Underworld"

"Gonna be hard to do that..." James said "These ghouls just want to live peacefully and they aren't really into this whole conflict. That and let's not forget their animosity towards the Brotherhood"

"I know but..." Coby said

"Why do they hate the Brotherhood?" Ellie asked

"Not really sure of the details but" James replied "Apparently, most of the guys in the Brotherhood tend to shoot at ghouls, feral or not. And basically, they have also attacked a few non-feral ghouls which kinda earned us the ire of Underworld..."

"What if we promise to improve on that?" Ellie suggested

"Yeah... Good luck convincing them how sincere you are..." James said "Also, Underworld's having its own problems right now"

"What kind of problems?" Ellie asked "Maybe we can help and gain their trust?"

"Well for the details" James said "go ask Dr. Barrows"

 **An hour later:**

The Doctors finished giving medical care on Vyse and the knight sergeant is now resting in the clinic's bed.

"Dr. Barrows" Ellie said "I heard your town's having a big problem, can you tell me the details? Maybe we can help?"

"It has nothing to do with you, smoothskin" Barrows replied "But maybe you can help me... recently, a lot of our residents have slowly began to show the signs of going feral... It's starting to scare some of the other residents and my research on our degeneration hasn't turned up much luck..."

"So what do you want us to do?" Ellie asked

"I need you to accompany me into the subway tunnels" the doctor answered

"To do what?" the mercenary wondered

"To collect Tissue and brain samples of those weird ghouls that inhabit the subway" the doctor answered

"Weird ghouls...?" Ellie wondered as she realizes what the doctor meant "Oh shit..."

"Oh shit indeed..." the doctor said "...Those things are much more feral than normal... They even attack fellow ghouls... Ferals never attack any kind of ghoul, feral or not... But these things just takes the cake!"

"What do those things have anyway?" the mercenary asked

"I want to prove a certain theory of mine..." the ghoul answered "...So will you help me?"

"Sure! We'll help!" Ellie answered

"Wonderful!" The doctor said "Let me get ready"

"R-right" the mercenary said as the Doctor returns to the Chop Shop to prepare his equipment

The mercenary then briefs the rest of the squad about the doctor's request.

"So we're gonna go back to those tunnels and hunt those fucker..." Coby said in a dejected tone

Marco didn't utter a word but he was shaking and one could feel the fear from his eyes...

"We don't have a choice do we?" Coby said "If it means earning their trust, then we're gonna have to do it. Paladin James, Knight Sergeant Audrey. May I ask that you help us?"


	14. The Ferals

**Underworld; Carol's Place:**

 **7:40pm:**

"I know we agreed to help and all…" Coby muttered "…But why do we have to do it at night?"

"Doctor Barrows said that those ghouls are much more active at night…" Dallas answered "He said that it'll be easier to find one…"

"Find one…" the Brotherhood soldier said "… We'll be lucky if we find just ONE. I know we need Underworld's support and all but… This mission is just so…"

"Hey…" the mercenary said as she steps forward "… We all agreed to do this mission… Besides, we can do it!"

"Awfully optimistic tonight…" Coby muttered as he lets out a sigh "… So how long are we gonna wait?"

"The Doctor's still preparing some of his equipment at the Chop Shop" Dallas replied "It may take a while…"

"Well, if that's the case…" Coby said "I'm gonna stroll around town for a while…"

"Alright…" Dallas said "…Let's meet at the entrance once the Doctor is ready…"

"Alright…" Coby answered as he stares at Paladin James "Thanks again for the help"

"No Problem…" the Paladin answered "We're all Brothers and Sisters, aren't we?"

Coby answered with a nod and exited the 'hotel'.

"Since we're all just sitting here…" Ellie said, walking towards the door, "Might as well see the 'sights'"

 **The 9** **th** **Circle:**

The mercenary is sitting at a bar stool, by the counter, drinking a bottle of Beer. Having nothing else to do, the mercenary looks around the room. It was an odd mix of ghouls. Some were walking, talking, eating and drinking like normal humans but a few were acting weird.

Notable few being some were twitching their heads, as if they were jolted by a minor electrical shock, constantly scratching their heads as if their lives depended on it, others were snarling & growling and finally, some simply laughed maniacally and are talking with themselves.

"Looks like this is worse than I thought…" the mercenary thought to herself as she continues to scan the room

She then notices an individual in a white suit staring at her with eyes filled with righteous fury…

"The fuck are you looking at, smoothskin?" the ghoul angrily said

"Nothing…" the mercenary calmly replied "Just looking around the place… Looks like some ghouls are acting weird…"

"It ain't got nothing to do with you, smoothskin!" the ghoul replied "Don't get yourself involved in shit that's got nothing to do with you!"

"Alright…" the mercenary muttered as she turns around and continues drinking her beer "The fuck is his problem…?"

Minutes later, the ghoul stood from his seat and left the bar. The mercenary gave a sigh of relief as James enters.

"Oh Ellie" he said

"Paladin Lyons" the mercenary responded

"Oh come on" the Paladin said with an upbeat tone "You sound just like Audrey… Come on, no formalities please… Just call me James…"

"A-Alright…" she answered

"So you ready to face those weird creatures again?" the Paladin asked

"Yeah…" The mercenary answered with an indifferent tone

"What's wrong?" the Paladin wondered

"Oh" the mercenary muttered "I-It's nothing"

"You sure?" The Paladin asked

"Y-Yeah…" the mercenary answered "Anyway, who was that ghoul wearing that white suit?"

"White suit?" The Paladin said "You mean Crowley?"

"Crowley?" The mercenary wondered

"1 word to describe him: Racist" The Paladin answered "He's not particularly fond of humans, or 'smoothskins'. In fact, he hates every single human and for some reason, he has a more passionate hatred for me and I didn't even do anything to him…"

"Damn…" Ellie uttered "I wonder why he's such a prick"

"Who know…?" the Paladin responded "… He may be racist but at least, he's harmless…"

"Yeah… I guess so…" the mercenary muttered as she stares at the door where Crowley exited…

* * *

 **Underworld Entrance, an hour later:**

The mercenary arrive at the agreed meeting place.

"Alright" Coby said "We're complete! Now, where to Doc?"

"We'll head to Metro Central Station" the Doctor answered "We've observed that they are particularly fond of that location…"

"Why?" Dallas asked

"Your guess is as good as mine" the Doctor answered

"Well that's reassuring…" the mercenary muttered

"Also, I hope you don't mind but someone is also gonna accompany us on this trip…" the Doctor said as another ghoul, dressed in a Merc Charmer outfit, walks into the group "This is Charon. One of Underworld's finest defenders"

"Hello" the ghoul said in an almost emotionless tone

"Uh…Hi…" Coby said

"Anyway" the Doctor said "Let's get going. Can't waste any more time"

Everybody then answered "Right!" as the squad enters the subway station, seemingly ready to face the creatures that await them inside.

 **Museum Station:**

With a few flashlights and Ellie's Pip-Boy light as their only light source, the squad treks deeper into the dark derelict subway, many of the soldiers couldn't help but feel that something was watching them or, at least, something was lurking in the darkness that surrounds the tunnels…

"I don't like the looks of this place…" Coby muttered "… Hey! NCR trooper, mind if you take point?"

"W-What?" Marco replied with a hint of fear

"Coby…" Dallas uttered disappointedly

"What?" the Knight replied "Just saying we need a point man…"

"I'll do it…" Ellie said as she takes point

With their weapons locked and loaded, the squad cautiously moves towards Metro Central Station. So far, not a single feral 'ghoul' appeared. The subway tunnels were dark and quiet, almost too quiet for the squad's comfort…

 **Metro Central Station:**

A certain familiar snarl began to echo throughout the tunnels as the squad nears the station proper, where the NCR camp was.

"I hear them…" Coby whispered

"I don't know if it's because of the tunnels…" James whispered "But judging from how loud these snarls are, I'm guessing an entire horde…"

"Let's hope you're wrong then…" the mercenary responded "Doctor Barrows, stay behind the squad"

Without uttering a word, the doctor stands back as the squad raises their weapon, ready to face these strange mutants once again.

Taking point, Ellie takes a peek from behind a derelict train and she soon learned that James' observation may be true…

"Oh shit…" she whispered "… There's a lot more of these fuckers…"

"… How many do you count?" Coby asked

"I'm counting about 8" the mercenary answered

"Holy shit…" the knight muttered

"Wh-What should we do?" Marco asked

"Taking on 4 was bad enough…" Coby muttered "But now that number's doubled… This is great… Just great…"

"So do we abort?" Ellie asked

"No we can't" the Doctor said "This is a rare opportunity to-"

"No offense, doc" Coby interrupted "But these creatures are also active during the day and at much fewer numbers too…"

"We can't" the Doctor said "… I'm looking for a particular ghoul that only appears during the night"

"What do you mean?" Dallas asked

"Imagine those things except they wear some weird black suit. They're armed with guns and if enough damage is dealt, they mutate into things that are much tougher than those 'ghouls' you see there…" the Doctor answered

"What the fuck!?" the mercenary muttered "There are other mutations!?"

"Yes" the Doctor replied "And these ones only appear at night"

"Shit…" Coby muttered "… Knowing all this, makes me wish that we're still fighting Super Mutants…"

As the squad ponders on their options, 3 individuals emerged from the Station proper. These were tall men, wearing black suits and gas masks. Each was armed with 9mm submachineguns.

"Speak of the devil…" the Doctor muttered

"… Are those ghouls?" Ellie asked

"Yes they are…" the Doctor replied "Feral ghouls but these creatures are able to wield a wide range of weapons, from guns to knives"

"How is it possible?" Dallas wondered "The degeneration on the ghoul's brain was supposed to include their ability to interact with a lot of items…"

"I know…" the Doctor said "I've studied my kind for decades! It's kind of weird, even for our standards… Nevertheless, I believe that these ghouls may be the key to a cure for our condition or, at least, a way to stop from turning feral…"

"So that's why you wanted some samples of these things…" Coby muttered

"Yes…" the Doctor replied "Somehting in their system may be the key to helping every single ghoul in the world!"

"B-But how are we going to take these guys down?" Marco asked "Those things are also there"

"Good question…" Doctor Barrows answered

Cautiously using her Pip-Boy light, the mercenary begins to scan the tunnels for a way to limit, if not eliminate, the danger posed by the feral 'ghouls'. She then notices several cracks along the walls and the roof. Turning to her squadmates, the mercenary asks "Does anybody have C4?"

"C4?" James wondered "What do you plan to do with it?"

"If I can cause part of the roof to collapse on those 'ghouls', we can isolate the targets without the fear of being torn apart by those pieces of shit"

"Sounds risky…" James uttered "But it's our only shot…"

"I only have grenades and mines" Coby said

"I can use those" the mercenary responded as Coby hands over the explosives to her

"I don't carry explosives" Dallas answered

"I-I have nothing…" Marco said

"Audrey?" James said "You have any C4 on you?"

"I have 4" Audrey answered as she hands over the explosives to the mercenary

"But how are you going to plant those explosives?" James asked "You'll be spotted if you even try to reach the other side"

"Then we'll just have to gamble…" the mercenary said as she climbs a derelict train and stealthily proceeds towards her first target.

Encountering no problems, the mercenary proceeds to plant two C4 charges on the wall. Using some tape she found, the mercenary straps several frag mines and grenades onto the C4. With the explosives armed, the mercenary then scans the area for a safe path towards the other side.

The ghouls wearing the black suits are standing idly by the edge of the tunnels, a notable distance away from her current position, while the other 'ghouls' are idling by the partially collapsed subway tunnel.

"If I run fast enough, I can avoid detection…" the mercenary said as she activates her 'eagle vision'. Luckily, her ability does not detect any 'hidden' enemies in the area. Taking the chance, the mercenary leaps from her position and makes a mad dash towards the other side. Unfortunately, one of the ghouls wearing the black suits spots her.

The ghoul quickly shouts and signals the other ghouls of her presence and begins to fire their 9mm submachine guns. The resulting noise roused the feral 'ghouls' and like an angered bear, they began to sprint towards the mercenary.

Using her varmint rifle, the mercenary furiously tried to keep the creatures at bay. Using hollow point 5.56mm rounds, the mercenary manages to stagger the feral 'ghouls'. However, the other ghouls, wearing the black suits, made it difficult for her to freely move and fire.

As the other ghouls close the distance with the mercenary, the rest of the squad breaks cover and opens fire on the ghouls.

"I knew this wouldn't go according to plan!" Coby shouted "ELLIE! Plant those explosives!"

"RIGHT!" the mercenary responded as she breaks cover and climbs a derelict train. Reaching her target, the mercenary begins to arm the explosives as the squad keeps the enemy ghouls at bay.

Soon enough, the explosives were armed and ready. Her objective complete, the mercenary then runs towards the other ghouls as she detonates the explosives, causing part of the tunnel to cave-in, crushing the feral 'ghouls' in a pile of rubble and metal.

Jumping from the train, the mercenary plunges her hidden blades upon one of the ghouls' neck. The creature merely flinched as it tries to grab the mercenary. Acting quickly, Ellie releases her hidden blades and jumps at a safe distance. As the other two were about to shoot the mercenary, Charon and Dallas manage to land several bullets on their torsos, severely disorienting them.

Meanwhile, the 3rd ghoul drops his submachine gun and reveals to have some hidden blades of its own, with the blades coming from the top of the arm.

After a brief standoff, the ghoul dashes towards the mercenary. For the next few minutes, the battle would seem to be an exchange of swipes and slashes between the two.

Soon, the mercenary blocks one of the ghoul's blades using her armguard. Although the blades were sharp enough to stab the mercenary in her right arm, she manages to pull through by stabbing the ghoul in the stomach. Despite this, the ghoul is still able to fight and simply jumps back, resuming its former stance. As the ghoul attempts another pounce, the mercenary quickly grabs her 9mm pistol and fills the creature with +P 9mm bullets.

The ghoul then drops to the ground and begins to shake uncontrollably. Soon, the creature was beginning to act as if it was suffering from a heart attack. Its body was quaking as appendages begin to sprout from the creature's back. The legs then become fatter and, seemingly, thicker. The arms and hands looked like they turned into oversized mallets. With its mutation complete, the creature stands up and resumes its assault on the mercenary. Following on the ghoul's demonstration, the other 2 ghouls mutated the same way and resumed their assault on the other squad members.

The creature swings both arms in an attempt to crush the mercenary. Ellie acts fast and rolls to the side. The creature misses but the attack caused a shockwave that slightly disoriented the mercenary and left a small crater in the area it hit.

"Holy shit…" the mercenary muttered "These things pack a punch…"

The creature continues to swing its arms towards the mercenary. Fortunately, Ellie was fast enough to dodge the creature's attacks but her guns were hardly flinching her target as the creature was also using its arms to shield its face.

"I need to find an opening…" the mercenary muttered as she notices that the creature creates a small gap between its arms and face before it attacks.

"Bingo…" she muttered as she continues to dodge the creature's attacks

Soon, the creature stopped and, like a boxer on the defensive, was covering tis face using its arms. The mercenary slowly walks towards the creature, hoping that she will be able to exploit the small opportunity presented to her.

The creature then unleashes a right hook. The mercenary quickly aims her pistol and unloads an entire clip, of +P 9mm rounds, on the creature's head.

Unable to withstand the damage it has taken, the creature drops to the floor and dies. Wasting no time, the mercenary quickly sets her sights upon the other two ghouls but soon realizes that the other squad members have already eliminated them.

With the threats neutralized, the squad begins to put the ghouls into body bags as Coby picks up two of them and Charon carries the other one.

"Nice work, everyone!" James said "Let's head back to Underworld!"

 **Museum Station:**

Returning home from their recent excursion, some of the members couldn't help but feel overjoyed over their success.

"Man…" Coby muttered "I thought we were gonna have a bloody fight in our hands…"

"I-I think I regained some c-confidence…" Marco said with a hint of pride in his voice

"Really?" Coby responded as he puts both bodies down and revs his minigun "Can I 'give' these 5mm bullets to you now?"

The NCR trooper jumped in shock as he says "W-What!?"

Annoyed, Dallas uttered "Coby!"

"Relax…" the knight replied "I'm just tripping your balls…"

Marco gives a sigh of relief as Coby stops revving his minigun and picks up the ghoul's bodies.

As the troopers neared the station platform, loud snarls echoed throughout the station

"Oh hell no…" Coby muttered as Ellie takes point and cautiously scours the station proper for any threats.

Soon enough, a horde of feral 'ghouls' emerged from the opposite tunnel. Almost immediately, the troopers opened fire and proceeded to retreat towards the station's exit.

"How many of these things are there!?" Coby shouted

"No use complaining!" James responded "Just keep running and shooting!"

Reaching the 2nd floor platform, the 'ghouls' were slowly closing the distance. The mercenary knew that they would be overrun unless the 'ghouls' are distracted.

Acting on impulse, the mercenary leaps from the 2nd floor platform, landing on some debris before jumping down towards the 1st floor platform.

The mercenary then proceeds to make as much noise as possible, even turning her Pip-Boy's radio on and putting the volume on full blast.

"The fuck are you doing again!?" Coby shouted

"I know what I'm doing!" Ellie responded "You guys head to Underworld! Doctor Barrows has to start research on those things!"

"Know what you're doing, my balls!" Coby shouted "You get back here now!"

"I wish I could!" the mercenary replied "But it looks like some of these bitches want to play! Catch you guys later!"

"Damn it, Ellie!" Coby shouted as the mercenary makes her way deeper into the subway tunnels, all the while being chased by a horde of feral 'ghouls'.

As she neared another subway station, a feral 'ghoul' suddenly bursts from a maintenance room, ready to pounce the mercenary.

The mercenary's perception of time slows as the 'ghoul' lunges one of its appendages towards her. She then places the barrel of her rifle in the 'ghoul's head and fires a hollow point round. The 'ghoul's head explodes and the creature's body collapses into the ground.

Having no time to waste, the mercenary makes her way into the unknown station's exit, emerging in a section of the DC ruins that she has never been before.

Having no time to discern the landmarks and find out her location, the mercenary enters a derelict apartment and attempts to hold off the 'ghouls'. With a few well-placed headshots, the mercenary managed to take down a few 'ghouls'. However, this was not enough to stop the horde.

With her position almost overrun, the mercenary jumps from the 2nd floor window. This time, however, a 'ghoul' manages to stab her left leg with one of its appendages.

"Gah! Damn it!" the mercenary shouts as she does a roll the second she hits the ground. Having no time to check on her wound, the mercenary tries to enter another derelict building, while amassing every single ounce of strength and will she had to be able to run fast enough despite her injured leg.

Unfortunately, the 'ghouls' manage to close the distance. With one, pinning the mercenary down onto the ground and attempting to stab her head with its appendages. The mercenary's quick reflexes saves her head from the 'ghoul's attacks, although, one of the appendages manages to stab her in her right shoulder. She writhes in pain as she struggles to get the 'ghoul' off of her.

As the ghoul was about to give the coup de grace, a shot was fired and the bullets lands on the 'ghoul's head, killing it. The mercenary then witnesses several well-aimed headshots, killing a significant number of 'ghouls'.

Soon after, the horde retreats back into the dark subway tunnels… With the threat gone, the mercenary checks on her wounds. Her left leg was in bad shape as the 'ghoul's appendage manages to drill right through her entire leg. Her right shoulder wasn't doing any better. It looked like a gunshot wound, only this wound was deeper… Any attempt to move was met with sharp pain.

The mercenary then hears distinct footsteps walking closer towards her. Turning to face the source, she sees an individual, wearing leather armor with a hooded cloak and a dog.

Staring at the individual, the mercenary said "Did you rescue me?"

"Well, well…" the individual said in a deep male tone "Looks like this is the 2nd time I rescued your ass"

"2nd time…?" the mercenary wondered as the individual lowers his hood "You…!"

"Nice to see you again" the man said with a smile "Good to see you're doing fine"


	15. Hades' Domain

Shackled. That was the first thing the mercenary noticed upon regaining consciousness in a barely lit room.

"The fuck!?" she muttered as she struggles to undo her chains "Why am I chained to a table?"

"Looks like she's awake" a familiar male voice said as he and 4 others, wearing hooded outfits, converge around her

"Who the fuck are you guys!?" the mercenary demanded as she continues to struggle "Get me out!"

"Still defiant" another familiar male voice said "The serum wore off faster than expected… Not a good sign…"

"We gotta do something!" one of the male individuals said as he and another individual respectively grab her arms "She'll break the chains!"

"Get me outta these chains, you pieces of shit!" the mercenary demanded as she continues to struggle, despite the attempts to restrain her. "Fight me like a man!"

"Should we use the serum again?" the other familiar male voice said

"You think she can handle another dose?" the other replied "We just administered it about an hour ago and she's fully awake again"

"I know…" he responded "whatever 'they' did to her; 'they' did a good job"

"I feel that she's too dangerous" the male individual, holding Ellie's left arm, said "We're better off ending her now while we still have the chance"

"Wait" the man, holding Ellie's right arm, replied "She may help us in the future. We have to find a way to get her to our side"

"Oh that's a great idea!" the male individual, holding the mercenary's left arm, sarcastically responded "Then maybe, we can release her right now and hope the power of friendship will sway her to join us!"

"I'm serious" the man replied "I feel that she can help us in the fight against 'them'!"

"Get your head out of the cloud, kid" the man replied "She's nothing more than a killing machine, literally programmed to kill people like us! There's no way we can get around something like that!"

"No" the man replied "There could be another way! Doc! You think we can use 'it' to undo her programming?"

"The device may be enough for the job" a man with a German accent said "But you know of the device's side effects. She may suffer from psychological disorders or worse, psychotic episodes in the future. And these are merely the long-term effects. I have yet to identify the immediate ones"

"We'll just have to risk it!" the man said "She can be our 'wild card'!"

As the individuals argue on how to best handle the situation, the mercenary manages to break the chains in her legs.

Giving no time for her captors to react, the mercenary kicks the one on her left in the head, prompting him to loosen his grip on her arm. She then uses that same arm to punch the same man under the chin. With her left arm free, the mercenary quickly does a sucker punch on the man on her right.

She then connects her attack by hitting the man's face with the backside of her right fist. With her arms and legs free, the mercenary then jumps from the table and prepares to fight her captors.

"Now we fight by my rules" the mercenary uttered as one of her captors charges towards her

He attempts to do a right hook but the mercenary's reflexes enabled her to easily block the attack and follow-up with a kick, although the individual's reflexes were also top notch and he too was able to block her attack.

Soon, another individual charges towards her. His attacks were akin to a boxer on the offensive. The mercenary dodges each attack with a black flip, followed-up by either a kick or a punch.

The 3rd hooded man then draws a 9mm pistol and fires about 5 shots at the mercenary, all of which missed, before the 4th individual stops him.

"Don't shoot her!" the man said "We can't use 'it' if she's too injured!"

"Not sure if you noticed" the 3rd individual replied "But she's escaped and is trying to kill us"

"Just don't shoot her!" the man responded

"Fine!" the individual replied as he holsters his pistol "But if she's about to end one of us, I'll take the shot!"

The fighting then comes to a stalemate as both parties are seemingly getting tired. For the next few minutes, the individuals and the mercenary would simply stare at each other, waiting for one to make a move first.

Ellie planned to quickly utilize a punch and kick combo on one of the individuals in front of her but she was suddenly grabbed from behind by the 3rd individual. She struggles to escape the man's grip but her enemy maintained his stance. This gave the other individuals the signal to attack her. Despite begin restrained from the waist up, she manages to fend off the other 2 individuals with a few well-timed kicks.

She soon was able to use her elbow to land a blow on the 3rd individual's stomach. The man staggered a bit, which was enough for the mercenary to grab the man's loosened right arm and throw him into the ground, the same way a judo teacher would throw his students. She then attempts to stomp his face but he was able to quickly roll to safety as the other captors tackle her to the ground. She resists but this did not stop one of them from injecting something into her neck.

The mercenary quickly felt tired. And with her vision waning, she was unable to put up a proper resistance. Her last sight was her captors getting ready to carry her somewhere.

 **Some time later:**

The mercenary awakens, this time in a soft bed.

"Where… am I… now…?" she muttered, while still feeling a bit sleepy, as she surveys the area around her. She notices a filing cabinet next to the bed and a desk next to it.

"This isn't my leather armor…" she muttered as she notices that she's wearing a blue armored jumpsuit

"You awake yet?" a familiar voice said

With adrenaline quickly pumping around her system, the mercenary rose from the bed and said "Who's there!?"

"Relax" the man said as he wanders into the room "It's just me"

"You…!" the mercenary said as she loosens up a bit "You're, You're-"

"Rufus" the man said, finishing the mercenary's sentence "You were in a really tight spot when I found you. Good thing I was there"

"Y-Yeah…" the mercenary said "Thanks again for saving me but where are we?"

"My house" the man answered "To be specific: Megaton"

Shocked the mercenary uttered "Megaton!? How did we get THAT far?"

"I kind of found you around the area near Galaxy News Radio" Rufus answered "Followed by some pretty ugly ghouls"

"Holy shit…" the mercenary muttered while still in shock "…It only felt like I travelled a short distance…"

"Well that's what adrenaline and danger do to you" the man replied "Makes you perceive time and distance much slower than usual"

"Whoah…" The mercenary uttered "Wait. What happened to my leather armor?"

"I fixed your clothes and improved the design a bit" the wastelander answered "It's hanging in the room next to this one"

The mercenary smiles as she thanks the wastelander for the favor

"Also" Rufus added "Your armguards took quite a beating. The blades are chipped and there's no fixing it…"

"Oh…" the mercenary said as her smiles disappears

"Don't worry" Rufus said "I think I got a pair here"

"What?" the mercenary wondered as Rufus pulls out a familiar pair of armguards from the filing cabinet next to the bed

Handing over the armguards, the mercenary noticed that the material used was excellent and the craftsmanship was superb. The blades were sharp and not a hint of rust in them, it almost looks like this was one of those 'Pre-War' items that you'd find in the wasteland.

"Holy shit…" the mercenary muttered as she continues to look at the armguards "…Did you make this?"

"No" the wastelander answered "I found it while scavenging the DC ruins a few years back"

"Wow…" the mercenary said as she quickly remembers what happened the last time she was awake "What happened to those men!?"

"Those men…?" Rufus wondered

"Yeah…" the mercenary said "I woke up in a dark room, chained to a table. There were 5 hooded men. They were contemplating on killing me or doing some weird shit to me… I manage to break my chains but they managed to overpower me…"

"What are you talking about?" Rufus wondered "I carried your ass from the ruins to Megaton the entire time"

Ellie was speechless for a short while as she tries to make sense of what she saw…

"Then what was all that about…?" she wondered as her heart rate and breathing becomes frantic

"Hey you ok?" Rufus asked as he tries to check on the mercenary

"I-I'm fine…" the mercenary said as she composes herself

"Come on" Rufus said "let's head downstairs. I got some Brahmin steaks ready"

Upon reaching the 1st floor of the house, a dog excitedly runs towards the wastelander, all the while giving several joyous barks.

"A dog…" the mercenary remarked

"Not too many of these friendly guys anymore…" the wastelander said "His name is Dogmeat. Dogmeat say hi!"

The dog responds by giving a single happy bark as it wags its tail.

The mercenary smiles as she pats the dog's head. The animal wags its tail as it licks the mercenary's hands.

"Looks like Dogmeat's already warmed up to ya" the wastelander said "Pretty rare… You must have an affinity for dogs"

The mercenary simply smiles as she continues to caress the dog's head.

 **Minutes later:**

As Ellie, Rufus and Dogmeat enjoy their respective meals; the wastelander notices that the mercenary was deep in thought.

"Got something on your mind?" he asked

The mercenary pondered for a moment before saying "How long was I out?"

"Only a couple of hours" the wastelander replied as he notices Ellie's Pip-Boy "Well. Well. Looks like you found yourself a Pip-Boy"

The mercenary was kinda taken aback by the remark as she said "Oh y-yes"

Noticing a familiar device hidden under the wastelander's sleeves, the mercenary asked "Looks like you got a Pip-Boy too"

The wastelander smiles as he shows his own Pip-Boy, it was the same model as the one used by the mercenary, although the screen had a different color scheme.

"Where did you get that?" the mercenary wondered

"I was a vault dweller myself" the wastelander stated "Got it when I turned 10 years old"

"Vault Dweller…?" the mercenary wondered as she checks on the armored blue jumpsuit that was given to her.

Using a mirror, she reads the numbers sewn on the jumpsuit's back… 101

"You're from Vault 101?" the mercenary asked

The wastelander nods and confirms the mercenary's suspicions.

"Then do you know the Lone Wanderer?" Ellie asked

The wastelander's eyes squint as he asks "Why do you want to know?"

"So much shit is going down" the mercenary answered "I want to restore peace and order in this place and recruit as many people as possible to make it happen"

"And then you heard the legend of the Lone Wanderer" Rufus added

"Yes…" the mercenary confirmed "So do you know who the Lone Wanderer is?"

"I do" Rufus affirmed "Grew up with him actually"

With an optimistic smile, the mercenary asks "Do you know where he is?"

The wastelander ponders for a moment before saying "No"

Disappointed, Ellie said "Too bad. Well thank you anyway"

"No problem" Rufus said "Are you member of that rebel group?"

Taken aback, the mercenary ponders to herself if she should tell this man that she's a member of the Sons of Liberty.

"No…" the mercenary said "I'm part of the regulators. I just want to restore peace & order and with the loss of so many of our members, I was hoping to recruit some of the populace"

"Alright then…" the wastelander said as they continue to eat their respective meals

 **May 18, 2307**

 **Rufus' House, Megaton**

 **1:30pm:**

With her wounds miraculously healed, Rufus shows her the leather armor he had modified.

"Here we are…" the wastelander said as he shows the mercenary her new outfit

The armor had shoulder, elbow and knee pads. The torso portion was reinforced with some kind of lightweight metal.

As Rufus steps out of the room, the mercenary wastes no time in trying to put her new armor on.

Minutes later, Ellie walks out of the room, wearing her new armor.

"How's it feel?" Rufus asked

"Feels great!" the mercenary enthusiastically said "I thought the armor would be heavier but damn! This is so light! I can still maneuver fast and still feel a bit safe because of these new pieces of armor!"

"Glad you liked it" Rufus said "If you go around these wastelands back in 2277 like I did, you'd learn to improvise on almost everything from clothes to weapons to food"

"Wow…" Ellie said "No kidding…"

"So what's your plan?" Rufus asked

"I'll go back to Underworld" the mercenary answered "I think the others are worried about me"

"Others?" the wastelander wondered

"My friends" the mercenary answered "We were separated because of those ghouls"

"What's your route, then?" the wastelander asked

"The Subways, where else?" the mercenary answered

"Are you serious?" Rufus said "You cheated death a few days ago from those ghouls and now you want to use that same route?"

"I don't know any other way to get to Underworld…" the mercenary said

"Well then" the wastelander said "Looks like I'm gonna have to accompany you"

"What?" the mercenary said "No. You don't have to trouble yourself"

"Don't be shy" the wastelander replied "I also have my own destination. Isn't that right, Dogmeat?"

The wastelander's dog then barks once as it wags its tail.

"You sure?" Ellie asked

"Besides" Rufus said after giving a nod "I think I know a shortcut"

"Shortcut…?" the mercenary wondered

 **D.C. Ruins (Near Tepid Sewers):**

"So where's this shortcut of yours?" Ellie asked Rufus, who was taking point

"Anacosta Crossing Station" he answered "It's near Rivet City"

"Rivet City?" the mercenary said "But isn't that kinda far?"

"Well it's not really a shortcut, per se" the wastelander responded "But I think it's safer since those 'ghouls' that nearly killed you don't go that far"

"About that…" the mercenary said "Do you know anything about those 'ghouls'?"

The wastelander was silent for a time before saying "No… I've been wandering the Capital Wasteland for decades... The most dangerous ghoul that I ever encountered was a reaver and they still look like normal ghouls…"

"Damn…" the mercenary muttered as Dogmeat stares at a destroyed building and begins to growl.

"We got company" Rufus whispered as he pulls out his Chinese Assault Rifle.

Just that, 8 individuals, armed with either 10mm submachine guns or combat shotguns.

"Ohohoho… What do we have here" a male individual, armed with a 10mm submachine gun, said with a sinister tone "Mind if you give us everything you've got?"

"Ellie" Rufus whispered "You confident with your speed and reflexes?"

"Yeah…" the mercenary replied

"NO WHISPERING!" the individual shouted as he and the rest aim their guns at the two wastelanders "Give us everything you've got NOW!"

The mercenary then slowly walks forward, with her hand up, as a raider approaches her and attempts to take her belongings. However, before the raider could even touch her armor, the mercenary quickly flicks her wrists and plunges both hidden blades into the raider's face. Witnessing the event, the other raiders retaliated, with two getting gunned down before they could even raise their weapons.

With adrenaline pumping around their veins, the combatants take battle positions and begin to open fire upon one another, with the wastelanders taking cover behind some derelict cars and the raiders hiding behind the ruins of a derelict building.

"Rufus" the mercenary said as she notices something by the derelict building "There's an opening on the 2nd floor! Think you can cover me?"

"I'll try" the wastelander responded "But what do you plan to do?"

The mercenary simply smiles as she takes position by the edge of the car. She signals Rufus to cover her and the wastelander wastes no time in unloading an entire magazine upon the raiders' position. Taking the opportunity, the mercenary runs towards the edge of the building and stops just below of what appears to be a window.

Using the numerous holes and loose bricks in the building's wall, the mercenary effortlessly climbs the wall and reaches the 2nd floor of the building. With the element of surprise at her side, the mercenary slowly creeps towards the raiders, which was directly below her. Upon confirming, with her eagle vision, each raider's position, the mercenary covertly drops down to the 1st floor, landing behind one of the raiders.

"They haven't noticed me yet…?" the mercenary thought to herself "Man… This is almost too easy"

Taking the opportunity, the mercenary plunges her hidden blade upon the raider's back, stabbing part of his spine, and all the while covering his mouth to prevent the others from noticing her. She then casually walks towards the other two raiders and stabs them simultaneously on the neck. Although the last two raiders noticed her, they were unable to retaliate as the mercenary quickly draws her pistol and eliminates both targets with headshots.

With the raiders dead, the mercenary signals Rufus that the area was cleared.

"Looks like raiders will always be a problem in these parts…" the wastelander remarked

"What do you mean?" the mercenary asked

"2277" the wastelander explained "So many of these fuckers roamed the wasteland during those times. Well that was until the Brotherhood and the Regulators finally manage to restore order and eliminated most of the raider gangs around the wasteland."

"Sounds like the Capital Wasteland was a living hell back then" the mercenary remarked

"Yes it was" the wastelander responded "At least until the Lone Wanderer came. Thanks to him, the Capital Wasteland became a better place"

As Rufus and Ellie continue to chat about the Lone Wanderer, the raider, who was stabbed at the back, was still alive; however, he was unable to stand up.

"Fucking bastards…" the raider muttered as he crawled towards the 10mm submachine gun he dropped. Grabbing the gun, the raider aims it at the mercenary's head, ready to end her life.

"This is for my buddies!" the raider shouted as he pulls the trigger. The mercenary had no time to react as she was caught off guard. Fortunately, Dogmeat bit the raider's right arm, prompting the raider to raise his arm slightly, missing the mercenary's head by just inches.

As the raider struggles to get Dogmeat to release him, the dog quickly releases the raider's arm and proceeds to bite the raider's throat off. The raider tried to resist but it was futile as the dog manages to end the raider's life.

"That's one tough dog you have…" the mercenary muttered

"Yes he is…" the wastelander responded with a smile "He couldn't have survived this long if he wasn't"

"True enough…" the mercenary said as they continue their trek to Rivet City

 **Rivet City Lower District Entrance:**

 **An hour later:**

After trekking the ruins for some time, and even catching a glimpse of the Purifier, Ellie and Rufus find themselves standing in front of the gate to Rivet City's Lower District.

"So this is Rivet City" the mercenary said

"Never been here before?" the wastelander asked

"No" the mercenary responded

"Alright" the wastelander said "Think you could wait for a while?"

"What do you mean?" the mercenary wondered

"Rivet City security is a little bit strict on strangers" the wastelander explained "Let me handle this"

"Ok then" the mercenary responded as Rufus talks to one of the gate's guards.

It didn't take long for Rufus to return.

"Alright. Let's go" he said

"What did you say to them?" Ellie asked

"Nothing really" the wastelander responded "Since I've been here a couple of times, I kinda vouched for you"

"Oh well… uh… Thanks" Ellie said

"No problem. Let's go" Rufus said as the two enter the Lower District

 **Rivet City Lower District:**

As the mercenary travels the area of the Lower District, she notices the despair in the people's eyes… The place looked like an evacuation center, almost as if these people were refugees.

"What's going on here?" the mercenary wondered

"These people are suffering…" the wastelander answered "Rivet City hardly has enough supplies to feed the Lower District"

"What!?" the mercenary said "Why!?"

"Refugee populations in Rivet City sky rocketed after the Sons of Liberty took Evergreen Mills" the wastelander answered "And with Rivet City being pro-NCR and Evergreen Mills being a NCR supply base, Rivet City's council decided to ration the food & water. Although, they chose to give more to the Upper District for some reason"

"No way…" the mercenary said as she stares at the refugees.

As Ellie and Rufus continue to traverse the Lower District, the mercenary overhears a conversation between two men.

"Damn those rebels…" one of them said "I was living a happy life at Arefu until they decided to cause trouble!"

"I know!" his companion said "I had to give up on my job as a Caravan Merchant after they took over Canterbury Commons! Hell, most of the people living here now are mostly refugees running away from the war!"

"We're doing this for the people of the Capital Wasteland…" the man sarcastically said "I thought the war was over after the Purifier was taken and I can finally live peacefully but no… These assholes just had to cause more trouble!"

"Yeah…" the former merchant said "Why don't we join the NCR army and have our share in killing these bastards!"

"Sounds tempting…" the man replied "…As much as I want to have my fair share in killing those misery-causing war mongers, I'm not really confident with my abilities as a fighter"

"Well its better than sitting here and begging for rations!" the former merchant responded "At least, in the army, we get a decent meal!"

"Yeah… I guess you're right" the man replied "Maybe it is better to enlist in the army"

Just that, the two men walks away.

The mercenary couldn't believe what she had just heard. Up until that point, she thought the Sons of Liberty was helping the people while the NCR makes them suffer. Turns out, her 'noble' rebellion was also causing its own share of misery upon the people of the Capital Wasteland. She then began to question whether her actions are truly just…

After a while, Ellie, Rufus and Dogmeat reach a big tent.

"What's in here?" the mercenary wondered

"You'll see" the wastelander replied

Entering the tent, the mercenary was surprised at what she sees, inside, were 5 NCR Rangers, armed with a variety of customized weapons. The mercenary prepared herself for a fight as she expects the worse.

"What's wrong?" the wastelander asked

"Uh…N-Nothing" the mercenary responded

"Rufus" one of the Rangers said "Its time"

"Time…?" the mercenary wondered

"We're gonna distribute the rations" the wastelander said "Mind if you help out a bit?"

"What?" the mercenary responded "B-But…"

"Well you're free to decline" the wastelander added "I just thought an extra hand would help in distributing the goods much faster"

"If you put it that way…" the mercenary said "…ok"

 **Lower District Main square:**

The Rangers, along with Ellie and Rufus, prepare a small booth and begin to distribute rationed food & water among the populace.

"Looks like they don't know who I am…" the mercenary thought to herself

As she hands over some rationed food to the next person, she notices the person was familiar. It was the former merchant she eavesdropped upon minutes earlier.

"Hey" the former merchant said "How do you enlist for the NCR army?"

"Huh…?" the mercenary muttered as she was caught off-guard by the question

"Me and several refugees want to join the army" the former merchant said "We had enough of the bullshit the Sons of Liberty is doing and we want to do something about it!"

"I…uh… I" the mercenary muttered "A-Ask the troops by the Upper District. They may be able to help you"

"Right…" the former merchant said "Thanks! And I hope to be able to work with you guys in the battlefield some day!"

As the former merchant leaves, the mercenary could only stare at him as she tries to makes sense of what she is seeing…

"You ok?" the wastelander said as he taps the mercenary's shoulder

"Hey…" the mercenary said "…Looks like there are actually locals who don't like the Sons of Liberty…"

"Yeah…" the wastelander said "…Those rebels think the NCR is the only one causing the suffering of the people in the wasteland. They have no idea that they have their own share of causing misery in this land… That's the problem of self-righteousness…"

Turning to the wastelander, Ellie asks "Who are you anyway, Rufus?"

"Lieutenant Rufus of the NCR Rangers" the wastelander responded with a smile"Commanding Officer of the Special forces squad, Sparrows"


	16. Propaganda

**Rivet City Lower District**

 **NCR Ranger Camp**

 **4:00pm:**

The mercenary sits beside an ammo box as she observes the activity around the camp.

"I always thought the NCR were a bunch of heartless bastards…" she quietly muttered as she remembers something Red told her some time ago "…Not everyone associated with the NCR is as evil as the goons who started all this…"

She notices several things that she would never expect from a NCR soldier. Some were distributing food to the locals, others were providing medical care to injured or sick wastelanders and a few were having fun conversations with some of the locals.

"… Did I do the right thing…?" she wonders as she contemplates the decisions she has made so far

For a few minutes, the mercenary was in her own world, trying to make sense of what she has just witnessed. For most of her life, this young mercenary has seen nothing but the evils done by the New California Republic. Now, she bares witness to another side to this 'evil' government…

As Ellie's thoughts wander, Rufus walks up to the mercenary, holding two bottles of Nuka-Cola.

"Hey" he said as the mercenary snaps back into reality "Thanks for helping out"

"N-No problem…" the mercenary said as she accepts the Nuka-Cola "How long have you been a Ranger?"

"3 years" the wastelander replied "Joined the army in 2298"

"2 years before the invasion…" the mercenary muttered "Why did you join the NCR?"

"Let's just leave it as I believe that the NCR will change the Capital Wasteland for the better" the wastelander said after pondering for some time

There was silence for a while as the mercenary tries to digest the information. Just then, like a writer suddenly finding his inspiration, the mercenary realized something…

"Why are supplies low again…?" she asked

"Because Evergreen Mills was taken" Rufus answered

"Then why is the Upper District faring better than the Lower District…?"

"That I don't know" the wastelander responded

"Isn't it weird that the Lower District is suffering while the Upper District is still enjoying their lives" the mercenary stated

"Look" the wastelander whispered, after looking both ways "Best you don't think too much about this… A little too much curiosity can kill you"

Taken aback, the mercenary responds "What do you mean…?"

"Just giving some life saving advice" the wastelander answered

Despite the wastelander's advice, Ellie couldn't help but feel curious…

 **An hour later:**

 **Lower District Entrance:**

The gigantic steel doors open as Ellie prepares to leave for Anacosta Crossing Station.

"You be careful out there" the wastelander said

"I will…"

As the gates close, the mercenary walks towards her destination, but it was not the subway station. Instead, she heads north, towards the Purifier. Reaching a shore, away from the eyes of the NCR soldiers guarding the gates, the mercenary proceeds to swim towards the aircraft carrier.

Upon reaching a certain part of the ship, the mercenary skillfully climbs the vessel, thanks to an array of twisted metal, missing parts and many more. Within 10 minutes, the mercenary's feet touch the ship's deck. She then proceeds to enter the city through one of the doors.

Inside, the mercenary begins her search for the records room. It was almost too easy as she simply walked around the corridors, with the guards never showing an ounce of suspicion.

She then comes across a room filled with holoprojectors, 4 of which were projecting images of several NCR soldiers. Looking carefully, the mercenary notices that under each picture is a date of birth and a date of death.

"A memorial…" the mercenary muttered

A common trend among the montage of pictures was the date, May 8, 2307.

"The day we attacked Evergreen Mills…" she muttered

As the mercenary stares at projections of fallen NCR soldiers, the sounds of chit chat began to echo in the corridor behind her. Acting quickly, the mercenary hides behind inside a locker. Using a hole in the door, the mercenary observes the room as two NCR soldiers arrive.

"So this is your brother?" one of the soldiers said as the holoprojector changes the picture

"Yep…" the other soldier responded "He was a good man… Had his throat slit, while he was sleeping, a couple of months ago… Couldn't even fight back… Mom took it really hard and nearly died of a heart attack…"

"I'm sorry man…"

"Don't be… Those damn rebels are to blame… I swear when I find the bitch that did it, I'm gonna make him wish he was never born…"

Minutes go by as the two soldiers stare at the numerous projections of fallen troops. All the while, Ellie felt a bit of guilt over what she had just overheard… She remembers doing the exact same thing to someone a few months before… As she ponders to herself, the two troopers decide to leave the room. With the soldiers gone, the mercenary exits the locker and proceeds with her mission.

A few minutes later, the mercenary comes across a corridor leading to a steel door, guarded by two NCR Rangers. There was no other way through them.

The mercenary stares at her hidden blades as she ponders on the best solution to her situation…

It did not take long for her to make her decision. She surveys the area, checking to see if those two rangers were the only one there… With the coast clear, the mercenary takes a deep breath and reveals herself to the rangers and slowly walks towards them.

"This is a restricted area" one of the rangers said "Turn around now"

But the ranger's words land on deaf ears.

"Hey! Did you hear what I said!?" the same ranger said as he attempts to grab Ellie's shoulder.

Upon touching her shoulder, the mercenary punches the ranger's stomach. The other ranger then attempts to raise his Assault Carbine but the mercenary was too fast for him as she quickly wrests control of the weapon from the ranger. Ellie then uses the rifle's buttstock and hits the ranger in the head, knocking him unconscious.

The 1st ranger, having recovered from Ellie's initial attack, attempts to shoot her with his pistol but the mercenary grabs his right arm and applies great force upon the elbow, breaking his arm. As he writhes I pain, the mercenary sucker punches him in the face, knocking him out. With the guards neutralized, the mercenary positions their bodies to make it look like they are simply sleeping and promptly opens the steel door.

 **Rivet City Laboratory:**

Upon entering the lab, the mercenary notices that the surroundings looked like something she saw in her visions. The tubes, the computers… They were exactly where they were in her dreams and visions…

"But… I've never been here before…" the mercenary muttered

As she makes her way deeper into the lab, the mercenary hears someone calling to her.

"Hey" a person said

Looking to her right, the mercenary finds a lone scientist

"Who are you?" the scientist said "You shouldn't be here"

With her cover blown, the mercenary draws her 9mm pistol and aims it at the scientist.

"Say one more word and I'll blow your head off" she said as the scientist raises his arms and surrenders.

The mercenary commands her captive to sit in one of the rooms, located at the corner of the lab, as she ties his arms and legs with some wires and rope she found lying around. She then covers the man's mouth with a few pieces of cloth she found in the same lab. With her captive secured, the mercenary notices a terminal. Although it was protected by a password, the mercenary managed to hack into the device, albeit encountering some difficulties. Inside the terminal was what she was looking for. Records of Rivet City's transactions, the council's plans, the positions of NCR camps around the city and many more.

"I just struck gold…" she muttered as she begins to download the data into her Pip-Boy.

As the download commences, a certain file caught her eye. It was entitled 'Operation Overseer'.

"Son of a bitch…" the mercenary muttered as she looks through the file.

The file reveals that Rivet City still had an ample amount of supplies and still maintains a supply route, thanks to some independent merchants. Most of the supplies were given to the residents of the Upper District, since they were the 'original' residents of Rivet City while the Lower District was given smaller portions of the supplies. Rivet City's council and Colonel Jao Sanders, an NCR commander, decided to use the fall of Evergreen Mills as an excuse to ration the supplies given to the refugees to incite Anti-Rebel sentiment among the refugees and, as a 'bonus', have them enlist in the NCR army.

"It was one big lie…" the mercenary muttered as she turns to the scientist

Removing the cloth, the mercenary was clearly upset as she says "Why the fuck are you people making those refugees suffer!?"

"They're not even from Rivet City" the scientist explained "They should be grateful that we're even helping them besides if they're going to stay in our territory, might as well make them useful right?"

"Bitch" the mercenary said as she plunges one of her hidden blades into the man's face.

As Ellie prepares to leave, a familiar voice calls to her

"My, my" a familiar voice said "Pretty violent there, Ellie"

"Rufus…" the mercenary mutters "…You knew about this?"

The wastelander didn't utter a word

"I thought you were fighting to make the Capital Wasteland a better place to live!?"

"I am" the wastelander replied

"Under the foundation of lies and suffering!?" the mercenary shouted

"Oh please" Rufus responded "As if you rebels haven't done your own share of the killing and propaganda"

Taken aback, the mercenary could only utter "What!?"

"Surprised?" the watelander said "I knew from the beginning that you're part of that rebel group. The emblem was at the back of your old armor, although it was a bit torn, but it doesn't really take a genius to take two-and-two together"

"Then why did you help me?" the mercenary asked

"I thought maybe I can open your eyes a bit" he replied "But it looks like even after seeing the truth, you still persist with your little ideas of rebellion"

"Truth!?" The mercenary shouted "You call this shit truth!?"

"I guess you couldn't see the light…" the wastelander muttered as a squad of NCR rangers flood the room "I'm gonna have to place you under arrest"

"You think your little cowboy battalion is enough to take me?" the mercenary said with a smirk

"Let's see…" the wastelander said "You just killed your only hostage and we're all in a room with only one way out and me & my boys have it locked down"

The mercenary gives a confident smile as she puts her left arm down, prompting a hidden object to drop down to her left hand. Acting quickly, the mercenary throws it into the ground and a thick blanket of smoke fills the room, disorienting the NCR soldiers enabling her to make a break for the door.

"Stop her!" Rufus shouts as the NCR soldiers begin to open fire upon the mercenary.

The mercenary bursts through the steel door as squads of NCR troops converge and open fire upon her. The mercenary managed to take a few down with well-aimed shots to their hands and knees, followed by a few melee jabs to knock them unconscious.

Reaching the stairwell, the mercenary climbs the stairs to the 3rd floor. As she opens the steel door leading into the 3rd floor hallway, two NCR rangers were waiting for her. Acting fast, the mercenary takes cover behind the opened door as NCR soldiers burst through the 2nd floor door.

"She's in the 3rd floor!" the soldiers shouted

"Ah shit…" the mercenary muttered as she receives shots from the 2nd floor stairwell and the 3rd floor hallway.

"I think you should surrender, Ellie" Rufus shouted "You can't escape"

"Kiss my ass, bitch!" Ellie responded as she does a banzai charge towards the two rangers. Despite successfully taking down both rangers, non-lethally, the mercenary suffered two gunshot wounds, one on her right leg and one on her left shoulder.

Not allowing her injuries to slow her down, the mercenary resumes her escape attempt as she runs deeper into the ship.

In a matter of a few minutes, the mercenary reaches the ship's bridge and goes head-to-head with a NCR ranger.

The mercenary attempts to punch him in the stomach but the ranger's reflexes proved to be almost as fast as hers, every punch or kick she does is either dodged or blocked.

"I don't have time for this!" the mercenary shouted as the sounds of the other troopers become louder.

The mercenary then pulls out another metallic ball and throws it unto the ground, creating the same thick smoke that allowed her to escape a few minutes before.

 **Ship Deck:**

Bursting through the steel door, the mercenary surveys the area. NCR soldiers are everywhere and jumping to the lower balconies would be suicidal. With no other option, the mercenary proceeds to climb up, reaching the derelict radar dish, all the while ebing shot at by the pursuing NCR soldiers.

Reaching the top of the radar dish, the mercenary prepares herself for one big jump.

"Ellie!" Rufus shouted "Don't do it! Just surrender already!"

"FUCK. YOU!" the mercenary said as she performs a leap of faith and jumps towards the body of water below.

Amazingly, she survives the jump unscathed and proceeds to swim to a nearby shore.

Reaching a shoreline, just below the derelict carrier, the mercenary hides herself using several pieces of debris. A few minutes later, the mercenary sits down and catches her breathe. She was so tired that she did not notice herself doze off…

* * *

The sound of an automated alarm awakens the mercenary. But she wasn't in the shoreline. No, her surroundings made it look like she was inside a vault and she was, once again, wearing the same unfamiliar power armor she saw in her other visions.

"Looks like ' _they're'_ here…" the familiar young man said

The mercenary doesn't utter a word and simply cocks her plasma rifle, ready to face whatever foe was attacking.

"Hey" the man said as he grabs the mercenary's arm "You're not a tool. You know that right?"

Once again, the mercenary doesn't utter a word

"No matter what they say" the man said "You must not forget that you're a human being too. Don't ever forget that…"

After letting go of her arm, the mercenary proceeds to the door without even looking back…

* * *

The mercenary wakes up after walking through the door.

"Another dream…" she muttered as she undoes the barricade she erected. Checking the time, the mercenary noticed that it was already 8:30pm…

"One hell of a beauty sleep I did…" she muttered as she climbs the cliff.

Looking at her surroundings, the mercenary finds Anacosta Crossing station just in front of her and to her left was Rivet City's Lower District… Just as she was about to move, a squad of NCR troopers, with flashlights, begins to scour the ruins…

"Looks like they're still looking for me…" she muttered as she quickly makes her way towards the station's entrance…

"Gotta make contact with the others fast… They need to know what's happening in Rivet City"

With that, the mercenary opens the station doors and proceeds into the dark subway tunnels, unsure of what dangers she may face inside…


	17. Boundaries

**Anacosta Crossing Station:**

Ellie enters the station, in an attempt to escape from her pursuers. As she enters the station's platform, the mercenary notices a couple of NCR soldiers combing the area…

"Damn…" she muttered as she stares at her hidden blades, contemplating whether she should eliminate these soldiers

After a short while, the mercenary shakes her head as she mutters to herself "No…"

Slowly walking down an old escalator, the mercenary notices a NCR soldier, who was in front of the bottom of the escalator, changes his course and heads straight to where she was.

The mercenary quickly jumps over to the side of the escalator as the NCR soldier shines his flashlight on her position, missing her by mere seconds. Despite getting to the ground level without any injuries, her landing caused a bit of rubble to collapse, creating a bit of noise.

"What's that?" the NCR soldier said as he goes to investigate the source of the sound

With adrenaline pumping into her veins, the mercenary quickly hides under the escalator as the NCR soldier emerges from the left. As he checks the left and right sides, the mercenary dashes to her right.

Just as she left, the soldier turns around and shines his flashlight on where she was just mere seconds ago.

Hoping to avoid the rest of the soldiers, the mercenary jumps into the train tracks and proceeds deeper into the tunnels…

 **45 minutes later:**

After trekking the tunnels for some time, including a few encounters with feral ghouls, the mercenary decides to find a place to rest her weary body.

"I've been getting tired so easily…" she muttered "Doesn't feel normal…"

Upon saying this, the sound of footsteps can be heard from a notable distance. Sensing danger, the mercenary quickly goes against the wall, preparing herself for a fight.

As she waits for the source of the footsteps to come closer, her head is suddenly assaulted by a sharp pain.

"The fuck!?" she muttered as she attempts to search for something useful in her bag "Mentats… Mentats…"

Unfortunately, her bag had no mentats and she was, once again forced to endure her latest episode.

A short while later, the pain subsided as the mercenary leans on the wall of the tunnel, trying to catch her breath.

Just then, the source of the footsteps reveals itself to be the mysterious man.

"You…!" Ellie uttered with her eyes wide open

"Nice to see you again…" the man said with the same sinister smile

Acting fast, the mercenary draws her rifle and aims it at the man, who simply stood there, still maintaining his sinister smile

"So you're gonna shoot me?" he taunted "I wonder if you have the guts to do so…"

"Shut up!" the mercenary shouted as she fires her rifle but misses

"You missed by a mile" the man said "Come on. You and me know how capable you really are…"

"What do you mean?"

"Think Ellie! You've shed a lot of blood without hesitation for months now! All because you discover a few things about the NCR, you suddenly go soft?"

"What makes you think you know me, bitch!" the mercenary protested

The man gave a sinister smile as he says "An excellent question, Ellie… But I'm not the subject right now… We're talking about you"

The mercenary didn't reply, she simply aimed her rifle at the man, trying to keep it steady but her shaking hands and legs seem to be making it difficult.

After a few minutes of silence, the man begins to slowly walk towards the mercenary. Feeling threatened, the mercenary attempts to fire but her hands refuse to listen to her.

"What!?" she shouted as she tries to pull the trigger "Come on! Come on! Come ON! Come ON! WHY CAN'T I SHOOT!?"

"What's wrong, Ellie?" the man taunted as he closes the distance between him and the mercenary "Why can't you pull the trigger? What's stopping you?"

"SH-SHUT UP!" the mercenary shouted as she fires a shot but, once again, misses

"Disappointing…" the man said "Maybe you just need a little 'motivation'…"

Upon saying that, the man lunges at the mercenary.

A struggle ensues as the man attempts to lock his hands upon the mercenary's throat.

"COME ON, ELLIE!" the man shouted "YOU HAD THE GALL TO CLAIM YOURSELF TO BE ONE OF US!?"

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?" the mercenary shouted

As the two individuals struggle, Ellie notices traces of blood dripping down from the man's head, eyes and mouth… It was almost as if she was being attacked by a ghost…

"PROVE YOUR CLAIM, ELEANOR!" the man shouted "PROVE IT!"

As the man manages to lock his hands upon the mercenary's throat, Ellie suddenly felt weird, almost as if a switch inside her head was flipped. After letting out a loud cry, the mercenary manages to free her right hand and lands a punch upon the man's cheek. The force was enough to send the man tumbling to the left.

Not yet finished, the mercenary lunges upon the man. Grabbing a tire iron from the ground, the mercenary relentlessly smashed the object upon the man's face, all the while screaming as she smashes the tire iron upon the man.

After several swings, the mercenary finally calms down. With the danger gone, the mercenary attempts to catch her breath and compose herself.

As she was about to compose herself, an ominous tone echoes throughout the tunnel…

"Nice work, Ellie…"

Looking behind her, the mercenary sees the man, alive and well…

"N-No way…" she uttered "H-How did you…?"

"You're a killer, Ellie" the man said "You're one of us, remember? All you need to know is who to kill next… That simple and today's exercise just reminded you of that fact"

Looking at the body of the person she had just killed, the mercenary was mortified as she realized the body had changed… The face was hardly recognizable but the armor the dead man wore was unmistakable…

"I-I killed a NCR trooper…" she muttered

"Right you are…" the man said with a sinister smile "Isn't it great?"

"No…No…" the mercenary muttered over and over again as she covers both her ears "No…No…No…"

"Why are you so distressed from killing a NCR soldier?" the man taunted "You didn't have any qualms in killing them before all this… Why start now? Don't you hate the NCR? Don't you hate how much they manipulate the common people to their own ends? Don't you hate their 'Holier than thou attitude'? Or is the entire invasion itself the one that you hate? Tell me, Ellie, why do you hesitate to end the life of a dog who's working for the enemy?"

"I-I-I…" the mercenary uttered "I-I'm no killer!"

"Don't deny reality, Ellie… It's not healthy…" the man said as he begins to laugh maniacally

As the mercenary tries to makes sense of what she had just seen and done, she begins to see visions once again… Unfamiliar locations, events, people, sounds and many more… It was too much for the mercenary to bear… It was almost apparent that she could not stay conscious for long…

With her vision waning, the mercenary collapses into the cold subway tunnel floor… With everything going dark, her last sight was that of a figure slowly walking towards her…

* * *

"Enemy forces dead ahead!"

"Return fire! Return fire!"

The mercenary suddenly gains consciousness and finds herself wearing the unfamiliar power armor she had seen in previous visions. This time, she and several other men, wearing power armor and armed with plasma weapons, are attacking an enemy squad, armed with a variety of conventional weapons, just a few meters away.

After running out of ammo, the mercenary ditches her plasma rifle and makes a mad dash towards the enemy squad. The bullets just bounce off thanks to the mercenary's armor.

Eventually, she reaches the enemy squad and immediately grabs one enemy soldier by the head and throws him like a football. She, and several others, proceeds to crush the remaining enemy forces.

Minutes later, the enemy force was destroyed; the mercenary catches a glimpse of her enemy. The uniform was different but she could not mistake the insignia that was painted on the armor… It was a two-headed bear…

"NCR…" Ellie thought "I don't remember fighting the NCR while wearing power armor…"

Just as the mercenary was trying to make sense of what she is seeing, a radio transmission echoes throughout her ears.

"Goliath is down!" a male voice said "I repeat, Goliath is down! All available forces are to converge on Dr. Steiner's Lab at once!"

The mercenary then hears herself saying "Let's move" in an almost emotionless tone… Which was even stranger as the mercenary was never this emotionless before…

As Ellie and her squad prepare to converge on the lab, another NCR squad breaks through the wall. A NCR trooper, armed with a rocket launcher, fires a shot and manages to land a direct hit on the mercenary. The rocket heavily damaged the mercenary's power armor. Removing her helmet, the mercenary charges towards the NCR squad which only took less than 2 minutes.

Upon reaching the doomed squad, the mercenary effortlessly crushes the men. Despite being shot several times, with a few shots hitting her cheeks, the mercenary hardly flinched and her wounds regenerated almost instantaneously.

"Wh-What kind of monster is this!?" a NCR trooper said after seeing Ellie's injuries heal before him…

"One mind, one body…" Ellie uttered before she crushes the NCR trooper

Some time later, the mercenary finds herself standing in front of a large steel door. It was only her now… Her other comrades were either gunned down or headed elsewhere…

With a blank expression, the mercenary opens the steel door and enters the lab, being blinded by a bright light…

* * *

 **Some time later:**

The mercenary opens here eyes and finds that she is inside some sort of maintenance room…

"Where…am I…?" she weakly uttered

"A service room in Central Station…"

Turning to her right, the mercenary finds the hooded figure, who helped her at Girdershade.

"You…" she said, still feeling groggy

"I found you about to pass out in the tunnels…" the figure replied "Not a good place to take a nap, am I right?"

"Y-Yeah…" the mercenary replied

"Tell me" the figure said after a brief period of silence "Do you think the NCR is evil?"

Taken aback from the question, the mercenary responded with a "Huh?"

"You were kind of talking to yourself back there…" the man replied "Saying stuff like why you're hesitating to kill NCR folk and such"

"I…uh…" the mercenary muttered, trying to find the words to say

"Listen…" the figure said "… A lot of people in the NCR may be heartless pricks but there are some good people in there too…"

"But how do you explain the invasion?" the mercenary refuted

The figure immediately replied "So if I were to tell you that the Brotherhood of Steel's mission is to take advanced pre-War tech from anyone by any means necessary, including violence, would you still consider the Brotherhood to be 'all good'?"

The mercenary couldn't reply… The man had a point…

"It's not the nation itself…" he said "But the leaders… There's a problem in the leadership"

"Problem?" the mercenary wondered

"There's a group of greedy bitches who are controlling the NCR from the shadows…" the figure answered

"Who are they?" the mercenary asked

"Sorry" the figure said nodding his head "…Can't tell you. Anyway, you should focus on clearing that head of yours…"

"The NCR has caused so much misery upon the people…" the mercenary muttered

"And so did your little Rebellion…" the figure responded "But I'm not saying you guys are wrong. In war, there will always be casualties…"

"What?" the mercenary said, not understanding the meaning of the man's words

"I've read this in a couple of pre-War books my father left behind…" the figure answered "'War never changes'… That's the underlying line in most of those books… So long as there's a war going on, both sides will always contribute to the death and destruction of the land and its people… So it's not unusual that the Sons of Liberty have also caused their own share of death and misery… Sometimes even the leaders, themselves, are the cause of the war… But the soldiers and civilians are the ones who always pay for the actions done by these leaders…"

"You have a point…" the mercenary said

"You're still young" the figure said "When you get to my age, maybe you'll understand… For now, just fight for what you believe is right"

"What I believe is right?" the mercenary wondered

"In the end, its how you hold true to your ideals that matter" the figure answered "I believe that a true warrior listens to both orders and his heart… Because what kind of warrior mindlessly fights just because someone said so, am I right? Aren't you fighting because you believe in the Sons of Liberty's cause?"

"R-Right…" the mercenary nervously said

"Get some rest" the figure said as he points to a sack, in front of him "I found a couple of mentats. I think you need em more than I do"

"Th-Thank you…" the mercenary said as she goes into deep thought

"Anyway" the man said "I've got a previous engagement and I'm running late so we'll part from here…"

"Wait" the mercenary said "Do you know the Lone Wanderer?"

The hooded figure turns to Ellie as he says "Who doesn't?"

The mercenary followed up with the question "Do you know where he is?"

"Why do you want to find him?" the figure asked

"I need advice, I guess…" the mercenary said "I've heard a lot of great stories about him… So many people praise him for his actions… And… And… I want to learn form him…"

The figure was silent for a while before saying "Try the Brotherhood of Steel. The Wanderer was a prominent member of the Brotherhood. Elder Sarah Lyons may know where he is"

"The Elder?" the mercenary uttered "… How did you know that?"

"'Insider information'…" the figure answered "I have ways of getting information around here…"

"How sure are you that she'll tell me the truth if I ask her?" the mercenary wondered

"If she refuses to help you" the figure said as he nears the door "Tell her 'where is your pride?'"

The mercenary was silent for a while before asking "Are you a member of the Brotherhood? Or rather, are you the Lone Wanderer?"

The figure stops as he turns around and says "I will neither confirm nor deny that… But what I will say is that I'm trying to guide this wasteland"

"Guide?" the mercenary wondered "To where?"

"That is a story for another time…" the figure said "Let's leave it as I'm also trying to fight for a better world… I have a feeling that we'll meet again…"

After the hooded figure left, Ellie reaches for the sack and find 5 packs of mentats. After taking some mentats and resting for another 30 minutes, the mercenary resumes her trek to Underworld… This time, she hardly encountered much trouble, save for a couple of feral ghouls…

 **Underworld:**

 **6:30pm:**

After a few days of being separated from her friends, the mercenary finally reaches the ghoul city. Although, she immediately noticed something was wrong since parts of the museum's wall was lined up with graffiti.

"Get out smoothskins! Fuck the Sons of Liberty!" were some of the words that were hastily sprayed on the wall.

"Did something happen…?" the mercenary wondered as she opened the museum door.

Almost immediately, she is greeted by an array of gun muzzles.

Raising her hand, the mercenary confusingly uttered as she raises both hands "I… surrender…?"

"Ellie?"

"Damn it, Vyse" the mercenary said as she puts her hands down "First time I see you in days and you greet me with a gun"

"Sorry, my bad" the knight sergeant said

"Well… Looks like you're fully healed…" the mercenary said "Good to see that you're back on your feet"

"Well its thanks to Dr. Barrows and Dallas…" Vyse replied

"That's great" the mercenary said with a smile "Anyway, what's with the jumpy atmosphere?"

"Well…" Vyse said "… While you were gone, a lot of shit went down…"

"What do you mean?" the mercenary asked

"Better that I show you…" the knight sergeant replied

 **Underworld, interior:**

Upon opening the double doors, the mercenary quickly caught a whiff of smoke, burnt corpses and lead…

The interior was in ruins… Some places were on fire, the floor was littered with bodies of ghouls, bullet holes can be seen in the walls and so many injured ghouls stumble in the main hall…

"What the fuck…" the mercenary said "What happened here?"

Vyse didn't utter a word but his face shows how distraught he was…

"Ellie?"

"James" the mercenary said "… And Audrey"

"Good to see that you're alive and well!" the Paladin said "Didn't expect Underworld to look like this, huh?"

"Y-Yeah…" the mercenary nervously responded

"Vyse, I think she needs to see him" the Paladin suggested

"Yeah…" the knight sergeant replied "I'm taking her to him now"

"Who's 'him'?" the mercenary wondered

"You'll find out soon enough…" the Paladin answered

 **Chop shop:**

As Ellie enters the room, she immediately notices someone lying on the hospital bed, it was Coby and he was badly hurt… Half of his face was bandaged, including his left eye, his right arm was in a cast, its seemed that he had broken his right arm somehow, and left arm was full of bandages, covering numerous gunshot wounds.

"Coby!?" the mercenary said "What happened?"

"Ellie?" Dallas said as she turns around "Don't… He needs to recover…"

"I-I'm fine…" Coby said while trying to hold back the pain "Good to see you, kid…"

"What happened, Coby?" the mercenary asked

"Shit went full circle…" Coby answered "A lot of the residents revolted, violently and tried to kill us…"

Marco then steps up and says "We tried to resolve the issue peacefully but…"

"… They started firing their weapons and… well I think you can see what happened next…" Dallas continued

"Oh God…" the mercenary muttered "Why did they revolt?"

"Fear…" Dr. Barrows said "Many of the ghouls that revolted were showing signs of going feral… They were driven by fear or worse, they're beginning to exhibit the characteristics of a feral…"

"Doctor… How's the cure?" the mercenary asked

"I found something interesting but no cure as of yet…" the Doctor said "But for now, we must quell this revolt… Even now, those ghouls are planning their next attack…"

"Where are they?" the mercenary asked

"They're in another part of the museum, the part where the ferals reside…" the Doctor answered

"Who's behind this?" the mercenary asked

"Crowley…" the Doctor answered


	18. The Cure

**The Inner Circle, Underworld**

 **The next day:**

Sitting on top of barstools, Ellie, Marina, Vyse and Dallas discuss about what transpired the previous night.

"Damn that was a close one eh?" Vyse said

"I know…" Marina responded "Would have been a disaster if they had their way…"

"So what's the deal with Crowley anyway?" Ellie wondered as she takes a shot of Whiskey

"Not sure" Dallas answered as she takes a sip of beer "All I know is that he kinda has a grudge against someone"

"A grudge?" Ellie wondered

"Yeah" the medic answered "From what I can piece together, he asked someone to get some things for him and this person ended up double crossing him and taking whatever it was the 'belonged' to him"

"And he's been hating on humans ever since?" the mercenary asked

"Not sure either…" she answered "The items that he asked this person to take belonged to a couple of humans. He even asked the person to shoot them all in the head"

"Pretty gruesome there…" Vyse remarked as he takes a shot of Scotch "Looks like we got a real racist on our hands…"

"Racist or not…" Marina said as she takes a sip of beer "He's bad news and we'll have to take care of him…"

"Are you ok, Ellie?" Vyse asked "You've been on edge ever since last night…"

"Vyse…" Ellie said "I'm fine…"

"Your voice says otherwise…" the knight sergeant muttered

"Vyse, relax…" Marina said "But he's right, Ellie. You have been on edge lately. Care to tell us what's going on?"

"I'm fine, really" the mercenary said as she takes another shot of whiskey

"As a fellow squad mate I'm just worried about you" Vyse said

"And who are you?" the sniper replied "Her 'mommy'?"

Vyse was taken aback for a short while before saying "W-Well at least I care about our safety and well being!"

"Oh ho ho…" Marina said with a mischievous tone "Someone's a little flustered"

"I-I'm not!" the knight sergeant replied

As Vyse and Marina continue their conversation, Ellie couldn't help but look at the wall in front of her… She was in deep thought, trying to make sense of what had transpired the night before…

 **Flashback, the night before:**

 **The Mall:**

"Over there!" Ellie shouted as she points at a ghoul, carrying about 3 holotapes.

"After him!" Vyse said as he, Marina and Ellie give chase "Don't let him escape!"

"This is a lot of trouble for some research data!" Marina remarked as she fires her rifle but misses the ghoul's feet by inches "Damn it! This is why I hate moving targets!"

Upon reaching an alley, Ellie stops and says "You guys go ahead! I'll climb and provide overwatch!"

"Alright sure!" Vyse said as he and Marina continue the chase

With that, the mercenary began to effortlessly climb a derelict building to the top. Upon reaching the top, the mercenary's radio comes alive.

"Ellie!" Vyse said on the other line

"I got overwatch" the mercenary reaffirmed

"Good! We need help tracking him! The deeper we go, the more rubble we see, getting pretty hard to keep track of the guy!"

"Roger!" the mercenary said as she uses a loose wire to swing across into another building "I see him! He just went under me! 8 meters north from you guys!"

"Copy! Keep us updated!"

"Will do!"

A few minutes later, Vyse and Marina seem to have cornered the ghoul.

"Now we got ya, you son of a bitch!" Vyse said as he aims his rifle "Hand over those holotapes!"

"As if I'll give in to your demands, smoothskin!" the ghoul taunted as he pulls out a detonator and triggers it.

The buildings shook as debris fell in the path between the Brotherhood Knights and the ghoul.

"Ellie!" Vyse said "The path's blocked off! We can't get to him! Do you have a lock?"

"I got it…" Ellie said as she sees her target's distinct gold aura "…I'll get him"

 **A few minutes later:**

Travelling from building to building, the mercenary notices a yellow line in front of the ghoul. Where ever the line was, the ghoul would follow…

"Interesting…" she muttered "…I can use that to my advantage"

Using the yellow line, the mercenary predicted the ghoul's route and proceeds to the area, preparing to ambush her target.

Hiding at the 2nd floor of a derelict building, the mercenary awaits for her target to reach striking distance. A few minutes later, her target emerges from the alley. Confident that he had outran his pursuers; the ghoul slows down and examines the holotapes he stole. As he turns his back on the building, the mercenary leaps out of the window and tackles the ghoul to the ground, forcing him to drop the holotapes he stole.

Plunging her hidden blade into the ghoul's left shoulder; the ghoul struggles to break free from the mercenary's grip. Amassing enough strength, the ghoul does a sucker punch and hits the mercenary's left cheek. Immediately, the ghoul uses all his might to get the mercenary off of him.

Recovering from the attack, the mercenary prepares herself for a battle. In that moment, the ghoul lunges at the mercenary and attempts to unleash a flurry of punches and kicks, all of which the mercenary manages to easily block or dodge.

The mercenary responds with a combo of punches and kicks. Despite most of her attacks landing a hit, the ghoul simply grunts and continues his assault.

"Damn it…" she thought to herself "This guy just doesn't give up…"

As the two continue their fight, Ellie notices that the ghoul snarls and his hands twitch from time to time.

"Is he turning feral…?" the mercenary wondered

Suddenly, a squad of ghouls emerges from several locations in the area. Armed with submachine guns, knives and blunt weapons, the ghouls surround the mercenary.

"N-Not so h-hot shit now…" the ghoul said

"His speech pattern's starting to degrade…" the mercenary remarked "But worse is, I'm surrounded… I don't want to kill any of em but…"

A ghoul then lunges at the mercenary with a baseball bat. The mercenary skillfully dodges the strike and punches the ghoul in the face, knocking him to the ground. As if using the attack as a trigger, the other ghouls commence their attacks, with the other two ghouls, armed with guns, staying behind and aiming their weapons.

The mercenary skillfully dodges and blocks the ghouls' attacks, with her even blocking a lead pipe by crossing her arms and letting the weapon hit her armguards. With each successful dodge, the mercenary had a follow-up attack. After a few minutes, she manages to knock out all of the ghouls, save for the other two.

Before one of the ghouls could fire his weapon, a hooded figure emerges from the roof of a derelict building and plunges his hidden blades upon the two ghouls before they could react.

Thinking it was the same hooded figure she saw at Rivet City, the mercenary approaches him but notices distinct differences in the robe's color scheme and pattern, even the hood had a different design. Underneath the hood, the figure wore a mask, which looked like something worn by cult groups before the War.

"You're not him…" the mercenary said "Thanks for saving me but who are you?"

The figure didn't utter a word. He simply walked towards the holotapes and picked them up.

"Hey!" the mercenary said "I need those!"

Still not saying a word, the figure approaches Ellie and hands over the holotapes.

"Meet me at the Lincoln Memorial" the figure said in a deep male voice "Alone and tell no one"

"What?" the mercenary uttered "What do you mean?"

"When you reach the gate, say you are workers, not slaves" the figure said

"What!?" the mercenary said "Who are you? What do you want?"

Silent once more, the figure raises his right arm and fires a rope from his armguard. The rope then proceeded to pull the figure up the derelict building and out of the mercenary's sights.

"Who is he…?" the mercenary wondered

"Ellie!"

Looking behind her, the mercenary notices Vyse and Marina running towards her.

"Ellie" Vyse said "What happened? You weren't updating us"

"Sorry…" the mercenary said "These guys got the jump on me…"

"No shit…" the knight sergeant said as he notices the unconscious ghouls

"How about the holotapes?" Marina asked

"Oh!" the mercenary said "I got em right here…"

"Good…" Vyse said with a smile on his face "Now let's get back to Underworld and get some well-deserved rest!"

 **Back to the present:**

 **Underworld Entrance; 2:00pm:**

"Got somewhere to go?"

Looking behind her, the mercenary sees James

"Yeah…" she responded

"Where to?" the Paladin asked

"I just want to walk around the mall…" she said

"The mall?" James wondered "Why would you want to walk around in the middle of the day?"

"I-I just need some sunshine and fresh air…" the mercenary answered

James pondered for a moment before saying "Alright but be careful out there"

"I will" the mercenary replied as she opens the exit door.

 **Vicinity of Lincoln Memorial; a few minutes later:**

As she nears a subway entrance, the mercenary notices a highly fortified settlement. Complete with a wall made with improvised materials, barbed wires, sandbags and guards, wearing combat armor and armed with a variety of guns.

"Is this the place?" the mercenary wondered "Wonder why the others didn't think of recruiting these guys"

As she approaches the gate, the two guards stop her from taking another step.

"Who are you?" one of them said as he aims his R91 Assault rifle "Are you a slaver?"

"W-What?" the mercenary muttered

"Answer me!" the guard shouted "Are you a slaver?"

"N-No I-" the mercenary muttered as she remembers what the figure told her the night before "You are workers, not slaves"

The two guards then look at each other then said "You know the passcode… We'll let you in but we have our eye on you"

 **Lincoln Memorial:**

Entering the gate, the mercenary notices a thriving community. The place was filled with activity, from people customizing or fixing their guns to farmers tending to makeshift fields…

Just that, an elderly man clad in recon armor approaches her.

"Ah a visitor…" he said "We haven't seen one in a long time since this war began…"

"Who are you?" the mercenary asked

"I'm Hannibal Hamlin" the man replied "I'm the leader of the people of Lincoln Town"

"Lincoln Town?" the mercenary wondered

"Yes!" the old man responded "It is named after Abraham Lincoln, a great man who fought hard to free slaves"

"Free slaves?"

"You see… Most of us here were once slaves but we managed to escape from our captors"

"And you ended up here…" the mercenary said, finishing the man's sentence

"Not exactly…" the old man replied "We lived out into the wastes and we were at constant fear that our captors would one day come for us…"

"So how did you end up here?" the mercenary asked

"A man, clad in a Vault-tec suit, came to us at our hour of need and helped us migrate to these parts several decades ago…"

"A man clad in a Vault-tec suit…" the mercenary muttered as an idea lights up in her head "By any chance, is the man who helped you known as the Lone Wanderer?"

"Why yes…" the old man replied "That was his title…"

"Pardon me for asking…" The mercenary said "But do you know where he is?"

"I'm sorry…" he replied "The Lone Wanderer was a frequent visitor but he stopped visiting our settlement one day and we never heard from him since…"

Disappointed, the mercenary hung her head low…

"Don't be sad…" the old man said "Wherever he is, I'm sure that he is bringing wonders into the world just like how he had brought wonders to our community… Had he not helped us, we would have all perished"

The mercenary smiles as she remembers the purpose of her visit

"Um… May I ask another question?"

"What is it?"

"Have you seen a hooded figure in these parts?"

The old man smiles as he says "He's waiting for you at the top of the memorial. Follow me"

Following the old man to the top of the memorial, the mercenary sees the hooded figure, standing in front of Abraham Lincoln's statue.

As she walks closer, the figure says "Lovely day isn't it?"

"Huh?" the mercenary wondered

"You're probably wondering why I asked you to meet me here" the figure said as he turns around

"Well yeah…" the mercenary answered

"We have the same goals you and I…" the figure said "Crowley… The one behind the mutiny at Underworld… He's my target…"

"He's your target…?" the mercenary wondered "Target for what?"

"Assassination" the figure answered "He's a dangerous man who needs to be put down"

The mercenary ponders for a moment before saying "Why is he dangerous?"

"Can't share that information…" the figure said "But I will say that he is part of a group of greedy bastards who are the one behind this war"

"The NCR?" the mercenary wondered

The figure chuckled for a bit before saying "If only it was that simple… No… There's more to this war than meets the eye…"

"What do you mean?" the mercenary wondered

"You'll know in due time" the figure answered "For now, let's focus on Crowley"

"Wait" the mercenary said "I want to know. Are we going to kill the ghouls who are supporting him too?"

"Since when have you gone soft?" the figure said

"What!?" the mercenary said as she is caught off guard by the figure's remark

"I've read the reports. You're one of the founding members of the Sons of Liberty and one of their best soldiers. The reports didn't say anything about you being soft towards your enemies"

"I just came to a realization a few days ago…" she uttered "That's why I don't want to mindlessly kill everything that gets in my way… It's not right…"

The figure was silent for a while before saying "Those ghouls are innocent. I had no intention of killing any of them. But they will pose a threat which is why you'll need this"

The figure then walks closer to the mercenary and hands her a makeshift gun, the toy car and pain gun components were distinguishable but the other parts baffled the mercenary.

"Wh-What is this?" the mercenary wondered

"A dart gun" the figure answered "These darts are packed with a special poison that knocks out humans and ghouls for a certain amount of time. It's non-lethal so you can freely shoot those guys without feeling guilty…"

"Who are you anyway…" the mercenary said "I feel like I've met you somewhere before…"

Just as he finishes her sentence, the mercenary sees a vision of the same room she was trapped in…

"You must be mistaking me for someone else…" the figure answered "I never met you in my life"

"R-Right…" the mercenary said as she puts away the dart gun "So what's the plan?"

"Crowley is hauled up underground" the figure said "He's hiding in an abandoned building just across Underworld"

"What?" the mercenary said "Then the ghouls at the dark side of the museum are-"

"He's not there…" the figure answered "The man's a selfish bastard. He doesn't really care about those ghouls… I have an informant inside his ranks. Once we eliminate Crowley, he's next in line for command and he'll put a stop to the mutiny…"

"Gotcha…" the mercenary said "So what do we do?"

"We leave for the target building in 30 minutes" the figure answered "Make sure you're ready"

"Right!" the mercenary said

 **The Target Building; 3:25pm:**

"Two guards by the door…" the figure said

The mercenary readies her dart gun but the figure places his hand over her dart gun and says "We take them both out at the same time. You aim for the one in the right. I'll go for the left"

The mercenary nods her head as she aims her gun. She then notices that the figure didn't have a dart gun. Rather, he straightens his left arm, revealing another mechanism in his armguard. He then rests his right hand at the lower tip of the armguard.

"Fire" he said in a soft tone

By the figure's command, both individuals fire their respective weapons, successfully knocking out both guards before they even noticed a thing.

"Nice work…" the figure said "Let's proceed"

 **Inside the target building:**

The two easily infiltrate the building as they neutralize guards and sneak around the corridors.

"This is almost too easy…" the mercenary said as she neutralizes another guard with her new gun

"I know…" the figure replied "Don't let your guard down"

 **The Basement:**

After searching the ground floor of the building, the duo proceeds into the basement. It was dark and quiet.

"Ellie" the figure said "Activate Eagle Vision"

"How did you know that?" the mercenary asked

"I have my sources" he answered "Now do it"

Upon activating Eagle Vision, the mercenary sees about 6 men, donning red auras, guarding a door and behind them was a lone figure with a golden aura. After describing what she saw, the figure said "Crowley's the golden target"

"But how are we going to get past those men?" the mercenary wondered

"We'll have to force our way through" the figure answered "But we have to take em out fast so Crowley wouldn't know what hit him. Ready that Dart gun"

"Right" the mercenary said as the duo prepare their blitzkrieg.

A few minutes later, the figure emerges from the shadows, in clear sight of the guards. Before one of them could even utter a word, the figure fires a dart from his armguard and hits the ghoul on the neck, knocking him out. He then proceeds to sucker punch one ghoul in the face and grab the other and proceed to choke him, letting go the second the ghoul loses consciousness. Before the other 3 could respond, the mercenary fires her dart gun and runs towards the other two ghouls. She kicks one in the face and punches the other in the stomach.

Kneeling down from the pain of having his stomach punched, the ghoul attempts to recover but the mercenary does a karate chop on his neck, knocking him out. The other ghoul then attempts to fire his gun but the mercenary quickly disarms him and throws him into the ground like a judo instructor.

Wasting no time, the duo push opens the double doors, ready to face Crowley.

"Well… Well…" the ghoul said "Looks like 'they' have finally found me…"

"It's over Crowley!" the figure said

"Over?" the ghoul said "Why? I was just starting to have fun"

The ghoul then turns around and fires his 10mm pistol at the duo. Acting fast, the duo split up and hides behind cover. Crowley uses this opportunity to activate something in his suit and just that, metallic parts began to extend around his body, creating a sort of power armor.

"The hell is that?" the mercenary asked

"You like it?" the ghoul taunted "I was a little gift from my supporters"

The ghoul then aims his left arm at the mercenary's hiding place and unleashes a barrage of 9mm rounds. As the mercenary takes cover, the hooded figure emerges from his and fires his AK-74u submachine gun. But the bullets hardly dented the ghoul's power armor.

"What was that?" the ghoul taunted "Your bullets are nothing more than BBs to me!"

The ghoul then proceeds to pelt the figure's position with 9mm rounds using his right arm.

"DAMN IT!" the mercenary shouted "I need to do something or we're toast!"

Just as she tries to think of a way to defeat Crowley, the mercenary is suddenly hit with another episode…

"No… N-Not now…" she muttered as visions flash before her eyes…

 **Flashback:**

"Ellie. Ellie"

The Mercenary's perception then shifts to the same lab she saw before…

"Here again…?" she thought

"Ellie… You mustn't use that ability too much" the man said

"Him again…" the mercenary remarked "the same one who tried to kill me twice…"

"But why…?" Ellie asked

"You may be able to use that ability but it puts a strain on your body and you may suffer repercussions. I don't want you being reckless. Promise me you won't be reckless…"

 **Back to the present:**

The mercenary is once again blinded by a light when the man finished his sentence and her perception returns to the ensuing battle. The mercenary then opens her fist and looks at her hand.

"That ability…" she muttered as she slowly stands up "… I remember…"

"Given up already?" Crowley said as he aims his weapon at the mercenary's head "I was hoping for some fun"

Crowley fires a shot but to his surprise, the mercenary moves her head and the bullet misses its mark. Frustrated, Crowley unleashes a barrage of bullets upon the mercenary but the mercenary quickly moves to the right, evading the bullets.

"Wh-What!?" he shouted "How can you be that fast!?"

The mercenary then proceeds to walk towards Crowley. Feeling threatened, Crowley focuses both his weapons upon the mercenary but everytime he fires a barrage, the mercenary would dodge his bullets, almost as if she could see them coming seconds before they were even a few feet away from her.

"Ar-Are you even human!?" the ghoul said with a nervous tone as he unload his entire magazine upon the mercenary

To his horror, he misses every single shot and he now finds himself facing the mercenary, her eyes devoid of emotion and mercy.

He attempts to punch the mercenary with his right hand but she grabs the fist with her left hand and to his surprise, she was strong enough to keep his right arm at bay.

"N-No way…" he said as he writhes in pain because the mercenary had twisted his right arm "Y-You're not human!"

The mercenary then plunges her right hidden blade through the gap in the helmet and armor, piercing his wind pipe. The ghoul chocked for a few seconds before succumbing to his wound.

"Cold and efficient… Just like what the reports said" the figure remarked

The mercenary stood there for a few seconds before kneeling down and barfing.

"You ok?" the figure asked

"Y-Yeah…" the mercenary said as she gasps for air "What happened?"

"You killed Crowley"

"I-I did?" the mercenary wondered

"You don't remember?"

"No…"

"Interesting…" the figure said as he presses a button on Crowley's armor, causing it to transform into a button in his suit "At any rate, advanced tech like this should be kept in good hands"

"What do you plan to do with that?" the mercenary asked

"I won't do anything with it" the figure answered "I'll just keep it until the need arises"

The mercenary simply stares at the figure before standing up

"So does this mean the mutiny's gonna end?" she asked

"Yep…" the figure confirmed "I'll have my contact take control"

"Right…"

 **A few days later:**

Following the operation, the rebel ghouls returned to Underworld and surrendered to the authorities. And it did not take long for Dr. Barrows to announce a cure for the ghouls. The residents were thrilled and many openly showed their thanks towards the Brotherhood.

 **Underworld; Chop Shop:**

"Looks like we're celebrities now" Vyse said

"Yeah…" Marina said "They were really happy with the cure"

"Thank you for researching the cure Dr. Barrows" Dallas said

"No" the doctor said "I should be thanking you. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have been able to finish my research"

"What did you find anyway?" Ellie asked

"The 'feral' ghouls we found at the subway tunnels all contained a special strain of the FEV" the doctor answered

"FEV?" Vyse wondered

"Force Evolutionary Virus" the doctor answered "I never thought I'd see this again…"

"What about this virus?" James asked

"It was a virus developed before the war" the doctor explained "It was meant to create powerful soldiers out of civilians but the draw back was that the virus would destroy higher brain functions, rendering the host to be nothing more than a killing machine. This virus was responsible for creating those Super Mutants"

"So why is this virus the cure?" Dallas asked

"The FEV ahs many strains" the doctor answered "This particular strain did not eliminate higher brain functions. In fact, it helps in enhancing it… Using that a medium, I managed to create a cure to the degeneration of our rational thought…"

"Wow…" Vyse said "That's some heavy shit right there"

"Anyway" the mercenary said "Does this mean that Underworld would help us in taking Galaxy News Radio?"

"As much as we appreciate what you have done for us…" the doctor said "…We can't go to war yet. As you can see, we still need to rebuild and recuperate. Maybe another time"

"What?" Vyse said "We busted our asses to help you guys and now you're not gonna do the same?"

"Let it go, Vyse"

Looking behind him, Vyse notices Coby, all patched up.

"Coby" he said "Looks like you've recovered"

"As if flesh wounds like those would be enough to stop me" he replied "Anyway, thank you for taking care of us doctor"

"I'm sorry that we can't help you right now…" the doctor said "But I promise that I will try to acquire enough support from Underworld to help your cause"

"Thanks, doc" Coby said "Pride! Let's move!"

 **Underworld Entrance:**

"So what do we do now?" Vyse asked "We still haven't gotten an army big enough to help take Galaxy News Radio"

"If I may" James said "I may be able to help on that one"

"Huh?" Ellie wondered

"Now that Underworld's safe and secured, me and Audrey can join up with you guys"

"Alright…" Coby said "But no offense, Paladin James, but the two of you are hardly enough firepower"

"Who said it was just me and Audrey?" the Paladin said with a smile

 **Seward Square Southeast; 2 hours later:**

The members of Lyons' Pride arrive at a derelict encampment…

"Looks like a battle took place here, not too long ago…" Coby remarked

"Yeah…' Vyse said "You can still smell the lead and gunpowder…"

"What's in here anyway, Paladin James?" Ellie asked

Just as Ellie makes another step, a bullet lands in front of her shoes. Acting fast, the members of Lyons' Pride draw their weapons and prepare themselves for a fight.

"Put your weapons down!" a female voice shouted

"Who are you?" Ellie asked "Show yourself!"

"We got you and your buddies in our sights! Put down your weapons!"

"Reilly!" James said as he emerges from the crowd "It's me!"

"James? Well I'll be damned!"

A woman, clad in combat armor and helmet, emerges from the ruins. A squad of soldiers, donning either combat armor or dusters, then emerge from the ruins too.

"Well, well" the woman said "It's been a while James!"

"Yeah…" James said "It's good to see that the Rangers are doing fine"

"Uh…" Vyse said "What's going on here?"

"Oh right" James said "Reilly, care to introduce yourselves?"

"We're Reilly's Rangers!" the woman said "We're a mercenary group and as of 2305, we're a rebel group fighting against the NCR. I'm Reilly and obviously I call the shots for the Rangers!"

"You're one of those scattered rebel groups then?" Ellie asked

"You could say that" Reilly responded "We hardly had any contact with the other groups, well save for these guys"

A middle-aged woman then walks forward; she was wearing a sheriff duster and hat.

"My name is Senora Cruz" she said "And we are known as the Regulators. We were once the very few sources of law in the land until the NCR came…"

"Reilly, Senora" James said "We need your help in taking control of Galaxy News Radio and taking the fight to the NCR. What do you say?"

Reilly and Senora look at each other.

"Why the hell not?" Reilly said

"I think we've hidden ourselves for too long…" Senora said

"So guys…" James said as he turns to the Pride "Two rebels groups? What do you say?"

"I'd say…" Coby responded "…When do you want to attack the broadcast?"


	19. Author's Note

Hi guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a while! College life's kinda getting in my way .

Anyway, Thanks for patiently waiting for the next chapter and I hope you enjoy! :)


	20. Media Blitz

**?:**

In the cold steel walls of what appears to be a vault, a tall elderly man emerges from a room, his face showed he was in deep thought, and proceeded to his right. Soon, he stumbles upon a hooded man and stops.

"Still hard at work, I see" the hooded man said

"I don't have time for chitchat" the man said "What do you want?"

"How rude" the hooded man replied "I only wanted to talk to you for a bit"

"You and I both know that is never the case" the man responded "So what do you want?"

Letting out a disappointed sigh, the hooded man said "The balance of power has shifted… The rebels are slowly gaining in power and, at this rate, will soon drive the NCR from the region"

"Aren't you the one who's been dealing with the NCR?" the man replied "In our last meeting, you mentioned that everything was going according to plan!"

"Yes" the hooded man said with a hint of confidence "Everything IS going according to plan! Even if the NCR is driven out of the region, it does not hinder our goals"

"Do you intend to use the rebels to our ends then?"

"Why not?" the hooded man said "After all, we already have a 'mutual friend' in their ranks"

"Are you sure that your 'mutual friend' is enough to control those rebels?"

"That is why I had this 'friend' do some research and one name in particular seemed to have peeked my interest"

The hooded man then shows the elderly man a file containing information on a familiar individual. The elderly man's eyes widen as he reads the name and sees the picture.

"I-Impossible!" he said "How is 'she' still alive!?"

The hooded man grins as he says "She is one of the best soldiers they have and he even noted on some of her 'special' abilities. Not to mention her name, Ellie. Does that sound familiar?"

"I remember someone going by a nickname like that…" the man responded "But that was more than 50 years ago... She went missing after 'the incident'! Even if she did survive 'the incident', 'it' would have killed her eventually!"

"Could also be a coincidence…" the hooded man suggested "Or maybe she is a daughter or more probably, a granddaughter, perhaps?"

"That is much more probable than the same scientist still being alive…" the man said "But her identity is not what peeked your interest, isn't it?"

"Of course…" the hooded man answered "…I think we can use her to meet our ends, in case the NCR fails"

"In the event that she is a descendant…" the elderly man said "Do you think she has 'it'?"

"If what the reports say are true, then yes" the hooded man replied "We will need a sample to make sure though"

"How about 'them'?" the elderly man said

"'They' don't concern me…" the hooded man said "I'm surprised that 'they' still exist even after what we did to them a few years ago. They have the tenacity of roaches!"

The elderly man's eyes squint as the hooded man continues to talk about 'them'.

"Well I think it is time for you to head to wherever it was you were headed…" the hooded man said as he walks the opposite direction "Good bye"

Even after the hooded man left, the elderly man just stood there, staring at Ellie's profile.

"Eleanor…" he muttered as he brings out a locket that is shaped like a heart "I know you died… I saw it with my own eyes…"

 **Arlington Library (Sons of Liberty Base):**

Arthur Maxson sips a cup of hot coffee as the radio in the room comes alive

"This is Alpha Lion" the Sentinel said "What's the status?"

"This is Hunter 2. We were unable to gain the support of Underworld" Vyse said on the other line "But we did find Paladin James Lyons and Knight Sergeant Audrey Sanchez in the ghoul city. Through Paladin James' connections, we managed to make contact with two rebels groups, namely Reilly's Rangers and the Regulators. They have agreed to help us in taking point media! We're awaiting orders, sir!"

"Good work Hunter 2" Arthur said with a smile "The plan is a go then! You know what to do"

"Copy that! Hunter 2 out!"

With that, the Sentinel switches his radio off. Elysse, who was standing by the corner of the room, approaches the sentinel.

"Looks like things are looking up…" she said

"Yeah…" the sentinel answered "Not surprised they found James there…"

"On another note, some of our scouts also report that someone caused quite a stir at Rivet City a few days ago…" she said "The NCR would most likely be on the alert… You still think it's a good idea to attack?"

"Elysse" Arthur said "It's now or never… We don't have much time… You know that…"

"Because 'he' told you" the Star Paladin said with a serious face

"You and I both know that 'he' is a trustworthy man" the Sentinel answered "If he's right, then 'they' are already on the move"

The Star Paladin did not utter a word; she merely stood there and stared at Arthur, who was actually being serious.

"Besides, I have faith in 'her'" the Sentinel said

"'Her' huh…" the Star Paladin replied "… I hope you're right…"

"I'm confident that I am…" the Sentinel said as he exits the room

 **Ranger Compound:**

Meanwhile, Vyse turns the radio off as he finishes his report.

"How'd it go?" Ellie asked as she enters the room

"The mission's a go" the knight sergeant replied "You know what to do next"

"Right…" the mercenary responded with a melancholic tone

"What's wrong?"

"No… I…"

"Don't say that you're 'fine'! I can tell from your face and tone!"

The mercenary couldn't hide her anxiety from Vyse. No matter what excuse she made or what lie she would create, the knight sergeant would see through it… Having no other choice, the mercenary decided to come clean

"So your little adventure at Rivet City made you hesitant in killing NCR soldiers?" the knight sergeant asked

"Y-Yeah…" the mercenary confirmed

"I understand where you're coming from…" he responded "But that doesn't mean you have to hesitate"

"What do you mean?" the mercenary asked

"Remember that I was part of a raider gang?"

"Yeah…"

"Well after I joined the Brotherhood, I was forced to hunt down my former friends…"

"Really…?"

"Yeah… At first, I was hesitant because come on, even if these guys are evil, you can't help but be hesitant since you've experienced, first-hand, the reasons behind their actions… Besides, I used to know a lot of em…"

"So how did you get over it?"

"The world isn't black and white… There's no such thing as one side being completely 'good' or 'evil'. We all share a certain amount of good and evil. Whether something is right or wrong depends on the person but one thing's for sure, fighting for what you believe in is never wrong…"

"Huh…?"

"I realized that by killing my old friends, I'm making the wasteland a safer place for the people… Basically, I was choosing a 'lesser' evil… In the end, it's not just about killing the 'bad' guys; it's about standing true to your beliefs and fighting for em…"

"So how is this connected to the NCR?"

"The NCR has its own set of beliefs to fight for… We do too… Why hesitate? Because these enemy soldiers have families? If that's the case then they should also feel bad for killing our brothers & sisters too…"

The mercenary hangs her head low

"This is war…" the knight sergeant explained with a gentle tone "All we can do is fight for a better tomorrow… And even if you hesitate, our enemies won't. If they get the chance to kill you, they will kill you. So why give them that chance?"

The knight sergeant then approaches the mercenary and pats her right shoulder. The mercenary stares at him as he gives her the brightest smile he could muster.

"Well" he said as he leaves the room "I gotta brief the others… Stand strong Ellie! We're all here for ya… I'm here for ya…"

Ellie stood there, motionless, as if trying to understand what the knight sergeant had told her…

 **Galaxy News Radio**

 **7:30pm:**

Standing by a destroyed building, just a few meters away from the radio station's lobby, Reilly's Rangers and the Regulators prepare their guns for the impending battle.

"We're in position" Reilly said over the radio

"Commence the operation" Arthur responded on the other line as Reilly gives the signal to attack.

Seconds later, the entire area is flooded with the sound and smell of gunfire. Responding to the attack, the NCR troops entrench themselves on the countless sandbags and makeshift cover they erected.

"These bitches really prepared themselves!" Senora shouted as she fires 3 shots from her Service Rifle "Gonna be a real challenge to get through them!"

"I know, right?" Reilly responded as she fires a short burst from her Chinese Assault Rifle

"Where are the members of Lyons' Pride anyway?" Senora asked "I haven't seen them anywhere!"

"Don't worry" the Ranger leader replied "It's all part of the plan!"

"Plan?" the regulators leader wondered

"We're just a decoy!" she replied

 **Behind Galaxy News Radio:**

Meanwhile, the members of Lyons' Pride climb the derelict ruins of the building, trying to reach the station's back door.

A few minutes later, the squad gathers at the back door, with Vyse standing right next to the door. With a confirmatory nod from Arthur, Audrey brings out her Pump-Action Shotgun and shoots the door's hinges and kicks it down.

Almost immediately, the members of Lyons' Pride pour into the room and shoot down every NCR soldier they encounter. In no time, they manage to secure the room and Three Dog.

"Three Dog" James said as he checks on the old man "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine" the old DJ replied "I think you guys better secure the ground floor"

"Right!" Arthur said "Dallas, you two stay behind and defend Three Dog! The rest of you, follow me to the ground floor! We're taking this Radio Station today!"

"Right!" everyone responded

 **Galaxy News Radio Ground Floor:**

Bursting from the door, the members of Lyons' Pride take the entrenched NCR troops by surprise. Some manage to retaliate but their efforts were in vain as their entrenchments were not built to protect them from an attack from behind.

By about 10:35pm, the few remaining NCR soldiers surrendered and the Radio Station was now firmly under the control of the rebels. With their objective achieved, the rebels couldn't help but cheer!

"Nice work Pride!" Arthur said as he debriefs his squad "Now we don't have to hear anymore NCR propaganda!"

"Hell yeah!" Vyse exclaimed happily

"Now that was intense" Paladin James remarked "Been a while since I had this much fun"

As the rebels celebrate their victory, several shots ring across the building.

"Gunfire!?" Marina said

"It's coming from the 2nd floor!" Kodiak remarked

Sensing something was wrong, the mercenary bolts to the 2nd floor with her rifle locked and loaded.

 **Galaxy News Radio, Broadcast Room:**

Upon bursting from the door, the mercenary runs towards the broadcast room and is greeted with a horrible sight…

"Dallas!" she shouted as she checks on the medic, who was shot in the stomach

"E-Ellie?" the medic said in a pained tone

"Don't talk!" the mercenary responded "Save your strength!"

"E-Ellie…" she uttered again "Y-You need to chase him down…"

"Chase who down?" the mercenary asked

"A-A N-NCR Ranger tried to kill Three Dog but I m-managed to shield him the last second…"

Just then, the other members of the Pride arrive.

"Marina!" Arthur said "Call a doctor!"

"R-Right!" the sniper responded as she runs downstairs.

"Where did he go?" the mercenary asked

"Th-The back door…" the medic answered as she points down the stairs

With a serious face, the mercenary looks at Arthur and says "Take care of her" before bolting to the back door.

"Hey!" Vyse said "Where are you going?"

Upon bursting through the door, the mercenary's eyes quickly lock onto the would-be assassin

"Not gonna escape from me you son of a bitch!" she muttered as she begins the chase

Minutes later, the mercenary was getting closer to the would-be assassin but the ranger eventually noticed that he was being chased and also made a break for it. During most of it, Ellie would fire her rifle at the individual but her shots would miss. The man would retaliate by firing several rounds from his .45 auto pistol but his shots also miss the mercenary.

Eventually, the chase would take both individuals into the dark underground tunnels of the derelict subway system…

Running through a straight tunnel, the mercenary stops and carefully aims her rifle at the man.

"No more running" she muttered as she pulls the trigger

But to her surprise, the man quickly jumps to the side, avoiding the bullet. He then hides behind some rubble. The mercenary then cautiously approaches the rubble. As she nears it, the man quickly bursts from cover and fires a shot from his pistol. The mercenary narrowly avoided a bullet to the arm as her reflexes saved her. The man, having run out of ammo, lunges at the mercenary and easily disarms her. The mercenary managed to escape the man's grip and ready herself for a hand-to-hand battle. It was then that the man's hood was undone and his identity was revealed…

"Rufus…" she uttered with wide eyes

"Been a while, Ellie…" the ranger said with a confident smile "May I have this dance?"

"Screw you!" she responded "I'm gonna fucking enjoy kicking your ass!"

"You sure you can take me on?"

"I know I can take you on!"

"Bring it then!"

The mercenary then starts with a right hook that the ranger easily parries. Rufus responds with a roundhouse kick followed by a combo of punches. The mercenary struggled to block his attacks as the ranger was fast and his attacks were pretty strong.

"What's the matter?" the ranger taunted "That all you've got?"

"As if!" the mercenary responded "I'm just getting warmed up!"

Through her reflexes, Ellie manages to grab Rufus' right leg and proceeded to pull him towards her. It worked and she managed to land a couple of punches on the ranger's face and stomach.

But as she was about to land another punch, Rufus grabs her arm and begins to twist it. Ellie cries out in pain as Rufus proceeds to throw her, judo-style. As she lands on the ground, Rufus attempts to stomp her face but the mercenary's reflexes kick in and saves her, once again, from danger. The mercenary stands up and the two fighters square off.

"Not bad…" Rufus said as he wipes some blood off his mouth "…Those are some pretty hard fists you've got"

"Thanks" the mercenary responded with a grin "I have been working out"

For a few minutes, both fighters square off, waiting for one to make the first move. Soon, the ranger begins to sprint towards Ellie, the mercenary prepares herself for the impending attack.

Rufus attempts a right hook that Ellie blocks with her arm. The mercenary then responds like a boxer and unleashes a flurry of punches on the ranger. The ranger manages to either dodge or block the mercenary's attacks though.

As Ellie was about to unleash another punch, the ranger, simultaneously, unleashes his own, with Ellie attempting a right hook and Rufus attempting a left hook.

Noticing the attempts, both individuals widen the palms of their respective hands and grab the shoulders of the other. Both attempt another punch with their opposite arms but instead of a fist, it was a palm. Both individuals once again grab the shoulders of one another…

With their arms locked firmly on each other's shoulders, both fighters were evenly matched.

"Nice one…" Rufus remarked "Looks like you have some bite under all that bark"

"You can't imagine how much fun I'm having" the mercenary responded

As the two individuals struggle to break free from each other, part of the wall of the subway tunnels collapses. The momentary distraction allowed the mercenary to break free from Rufus' grip.

As the rubble rests, a tall ghoul, with a bulky body like a bodybuilder, emerges from the, newly created, hole in the wall.

The ghoul then sets its sights on the mercenary and proceeds to crush her with its fists. The mercenary dodges the attack and notices Rufus walking away.

"Hey!" she shouted "You get back here!"

"Sorry" the ranger responded "I got plans"

"You sneaky son of a bitch!" the mercenary angrily shouted as she dodges another attack from the ghoul

"Goodbye for now" the ranger said as he waves his right hand and disappears into the dark subway tunnels.

The ghoul was relentless in its attacks against the mercenary.

"I need a gun!" she muttered as she scans the tunnels for a weapon

She then spots her rifle right behind the ghoul. As the ghoul was about to do another crushing attack, the mercenary rolls behind the mutant and quickly grabs her rifle and fires several shots at the creature's head, although, the ghoul merely grunted and resumed its relentless onslaught.

As the creature was about to do another attack, a grenade explodes behind the ghoul, causing it to flinch. It was then that the mercenary noticed Paladin James, wielding a grenade launcher, and the other members of Lyons' Pride arriving on the scene.

"Ellie!" Vyse said "You ok?"

"I'm fine!" she responded "But I could use a hand!"

"What is up with feral ghouls these days!?" the knight sergeant remarked as he notices the ghoul

"Maybe it's because of that FEV thing Dr. Barrows mentioned" James responded

"Enough chatter" Arthur said "Time to kick some ass!"

With the timely arrival of Lyons' Pride, the mercenary was able to overpower the ghoul. Despite its best efforts, the ghoul finally fell after a hailstorm of bullets.

"This one's bulkier than the normal…" Coby remarked

"Is this what this FEV can do?" Kodiak wondered

"Maybe…" Arthur responded "… If we had Dallas, we could have gathered some samples to study…"

"Dallas!" the mercenary muttered as she realizes what had happened just minutes ago "How is she?"

"She's fine" Marina answered "She'll be bedridden for some time but she's fine"

"That's good…" the mercenary said as the ghoul suddenly started to slowly move its left arm

"Ellie watch out!" Vyse said as he notices the ghoul's movements

But it was too late, the ghoul managed to grab the mercenary's throat. It then stands up as the other members of Lyons' Pride open fire upon it.

"D-Damn it…" the mercenary muttered as she vainly kicks the ghoul's face several times

With each succeeding kick, the ghoul's grip just keeps getting tighter and tighter. The mercenary was running out of oxygen…

With her consciousness slowly fading, the mercenary began to hallucinate… Instead of the bulky ghoul, her eyes show her a tall figure wearing the unfamiliar power armor…

* * *

The next time the mercenary regains consciousness, she finds herself inside an unfamiliar lab, the sound of an alarm and gunfire can be heard. This time, she wasn't wearing the unfamiliar power armor but she was wearing a grayish uniform.

"They're here!" a scientist with a German accent said

"With what we have left…" the other man said "…The base will fall!"

"That man…" Ellie thought to herself "…He's here again… Why does he keep appearing in these visions…?"

"Are 'they' here already?" the scientist asked

"Yes!" the man replied "'they' will ensure our safety! Besides, I've had enough of all this crap!"

"Are you sure 'they' can be trusted?" the scientist asked

"Better than staying here and getting caught" the man answered

"Fair enough…" the scientist responded

As the two men continue their conversation, Ellie cocks her plasma rifle and slowly walks towards the two men. A bright light then blinds the mercenary as she gets closer to the young man.

* * *

The mercenary then finds herself chasing a hooded figure down a hallway. She fires her plasma rifle several times but misses. The hooded figure then stops, raises his left arm and points it towards a hole in the 2nd floor. A tiny wire emerges from it and proceeds to pull the figure away from the mercenary. As the mercenary was preparing to make a jump, the mercenary notices an oncoming spear and narrowly dodges it.

Looking for the attacker, the mercenary sees a tall young woman, donning a blue jumpsuit customized with armor pads, wielding a spear.

"That armor pattern…" the mercenary thought to herself "…It looks familiar…"

The mercenary attempts to fire her rifle but the gun jams and takes this opportunity to pull out her 10mm pistol and fires it. The mercenary narrowly dodges a bullet and with her reflexes, manages to grab the woman's right arm and wrest control of the firearm from her. In the ensuing fight, the gun accidentally breaks.

The woman then uses her spear to stab the mercenary but Ellie manages to dodges every thrust and swing. Eventually, Ellie grabs the spear and proceeds to pull the woman towards her. It worked and the mercenary pulls out a knife to finish off her attacker. But her attacker quickly lets go of her spear and brings out a sword, the design of which is unfamiliar to the mercenary, and attempts to slash the mercenary's chest. The mercenary parries the sudden attack with her knife.

The woman then jumps back and proceeds to relentlessly attack the mercenary from different sides.

"She's fast…" Ellie thought as she notices that she was open

As the woman was about to stab Ellie's heart, the mercenary quickly grabs the woman's right arm. With the battle turning in her favor, Ellie attempts to stab the woman's throat with her knife. But the woman had one more trick up her sleeve as she produces another knife from her left arm and stabs the mercenary's left arm, forcing her to let go of the woman, as Ellie prepares herself to fight, a bullet lands on her left shoulder.

Looking behind her, she sees the bullet came from an AK74u, wielded by the hooded figure.

"You're really something you know that…" the hooded figure said "… Surrender, you can't win this…"

Despite the damage done to her body, the mercenary utters "One mind, One body!" before charging towards the hooded figure.

Ellie is then blinded once more by a bright light as the last thing she hears was the sound of a single gunshot…

* * *

The mercenary then wakes up and notices that she was lying on a bed inside a tent.

"Where am I…?" she muttered

"You're in a medical tent…"

The mercenary looks to her right and notices Vyse, who was sitting down.

"Vyse…" she muttered "What happened?"

"That ghoul really got you good…" he said "Played dead then did that surprise attack… We managed to kill it for real this time and we just had to get some samples so we collected some bits of flesh and brought it to Dr. Barrows for him to study…"

"Dallas…!" the mercenary muttered as she suddenly remembered something "How is she!?"

"Calm down…" The knight sergeant said "She's alive but she'll be bedridden for a while"

"That's good…" the mercenary muttered "How long was I out?"

"Only a day or two… Don't worry about it. Anyway, I have some good news for you" the knight sergeant said as he turns the radio on

"THREEEE DOOOOG!" the voice on the radio said "That's me kids! Coming to you, loud and proud from Galaxy News Radio! That's right, kids! I'm free! The Sons of Liberty have answered my prayers and freed me from the shackles of the NCR! Now I can continue my work in peace! So I hope you'll stay tuned to Galaxy News Radio! And now here's some music that I know you all missed cuz I sure did!"

"The radio…" Ellie muttered

"We did it…" Vyse said with a smile "Galaxy News Radio is ours and we won't be hearing anymore NCR propaganda…"

Ellie smiles as she hears the music from the radio

"Get some rest" Vyse said as he stands up "I'm gonna take care of some things. You take it easy…"

"Vyse!" Ellie said as the knight sergeant was about to leave

"What is it?" he replied as he turns around

"Thank you Vyse" the mercenary said with a sincere smile "Thank you for everything…"

"D-Don't mention it…" the knight sergeant said scratching the lower part of his cheek.

 **Arlington Library (Rebel Command Center):**

"Knight Sergeant Vyse has confirmed that Knight Ellie has awoken…" Elysse said

"That's good" Arthur replied "What's the after battle report?"

"We lost about 10 men during the fight" Elysse reported "We also recorded about 20 injured, with 5 being classified as serious including Knight Dallas… All in all, we suffered minimal losses…"

"Would have been better if we suffered no losses…" the Sentinel muttered

"Sentinel Maxson" Senora Cruz said as she enters the room, armed with her service rifle

"What is it, Senora?" Elysse asked

"We found someone suspicious lurking around the camp" the Regulators leader reported "We detained him and he wants to speak to Sentinel Maxson"

"Me?" Arthur wondered

 **Arlington Library Makeshift Prison:**

"We detained the man inside one of the library's play rooms" Senora said

Opening the door, Arthur sees a tall middle-aged man, his left eye was covered by an eyepatch and he could notice a long scar from the left side of his forehead down to his lips.

"You're the rebel commander, I presume?" the man said

"Yes I am" Arthur answered "What do you want with me?"

"I want to make a deal" the man answered

"A Deal?" Arthur wondered

"Yes. A Deal" the man said with a grin "I observed your little fight at Galaxy News Radio and I want to offer you my services"

"Who are you?" Arthur asked

"Me?" the man said "My name is Jack. And I am the leader of the mercenary group known as Talon Company"


	21. Hearts and Minds

**Arlington Library (Sons of Liberty Forward Operating Base):**

"I can offer you my group's services" Jack said with a confident smile

Arthur did not utter a word, he simply rests his right index finger on his chin

Senora leered at Jack. Out of everyone in the room, she was most suspicious of his motives. "I don't trust him! Talon Company was one of the mercenary groups that brought terror to the wasteland almost 30 years ago! Why should we trust a company of pillagers?"

Jack chuckles as he hears Senora's protests. "I assure you that we want to help the Sons of Liberty. Senora was it? I remember hearing your name from a list of groups that wanted ours dead years ago. If I'm not wrong, it's the Regulators right?"

Senora frowns and clenches her left fist. "So what if I am? My group helped bring law and order to the wasteland! You only brought pain and suffering! You event tried to kill our best soldier!"

"By best soldier, you're talking about 'him'?" the merc leader asked "That was only because someone wanted 'him' dead and you know that a mercenary must complete his end of the contract"

Senora then aims her rifle at the merc leader. "Shut up! You made so many innocent people suffer! You murdered them! Mugged them! You expect me to believe that a scoundrel like you would help bring peace back to the Capital Wasteland!"

"Senora, enough" Arthur said as he places his left hand on top of her rifle and pushes it down. He then looks at the merc leader, who was still smiling, as if trying to show his confidence. "What do you get in all this? You must have an ulterior motive as to why you decided to help us"

The merc leader chuckles again. "Alright fine. Yes, it is true. Me joining your little rebel group will more or less benefit me"

"So what are you after?"

"The NCR is a very strict group of people. Bitches love to tax you to high hell and then enforce harsh rules on you. Generally, they're bad for business and I wish to conduct mine in peace"

Senora steps forward and leers once more at Jack. "So you just want to get rid of them so you can return to your criminal ways!"

"You misunderstand. Our 'criminal' ways were what the previous leader enforced in our group. I'm more… Liberal. Also, since we're already on the topic of business, let's talk about my fee…"

"You think, I'll trust a half-hearted explanation like that?!"

Senora was about to walk closer to the merc leader before Arthur places his left arm in front of her. She then steps back.

"How much do you want to get paid for this?"

"For now, pay me 1000 caps"

Senora, once again, raises her voice. "You can't be serious! You expect us to-"

"It's a deal." Arthur said, interrupting her "Welcome to the Sons of Liberty"

Jack smiles as Senora gives a frustrated look in her face. "Thank you for you patronage. Now I also have another set of info for you. I'll give it for free. Take it as a sign of good faith from me"

 **Briefing Room:**

Meanwhile, the other members of Lyons' Pride wait at the briefing room.

Looking at the map, Ellie stares at the areas around Rivet City, the Citadel and the Purifier. "So what happened after we took the radio station?"

Marina stood up and pointed at the towns of Megaton, Grayditch and Fiore. "Once everyone heard the news that Three Dog was free, these towns revolted and eventually joined us."

"How's Dallas?"

"She's still bed-ridden but she's alive. Doc said she'll be out in a few days"

Ellie then notices a peculiar marker on the map. It was a small picture of a gear and it was crossed out. "What's this?" she said as she points at it.

"Vault 101"

"Why is it crossed out?"

"The Vault's sealed. Looks like they don't want to be part of this"

"Why?"

"From what I know, they used to be isolated from the world until 2277 where they finally decided to open their doors. But when the conflict started, they sealed themselves again"

Ellie stares at the area around Vault 101 as Elysse and Arthur enter the tent

"Let's begin the briefing" Arthur said as the members take their seats. "First off, a new merc group has joined us. They're called Talon Company."

Kodiak's eyes widen as he hears the name. "Talon Company?! But they-"

"I know" Arthur interrupted "Their new leader, Jack, has offered to provide us with supplies, including advanced weaponry. He also gave us intel on Rivet City"

"What's up at Rivet City?" Ellie asked

"The NCR placed the city under lockdown and is forcing the refugees to fight in the war."

Everyone was in unison when they said "What?!"

Vyse stands up, shocked at the news. "Wait. So are we gonna attack the Citadel and Purifier knowing we could be fighting refugees and civilians?!"

"Most likely…" Arthur answered

"No way!" Ellie protested "There's no way in hell I'd allow that! I say, we head to Rivet City and kick the NCR out of town!"

Elysse steps forward. "Wait. The NCR is still reeling from the attack on the radio station, last week. If we strike now, it'll be easier for our armies to take both objectives. Side-tracking to Rivet City will only buy the NCR time to fortify their defenses"

"But…"

As Ellie argues to take the town, Arthur stands up. "I'm with her"

Elysse, surprised, stares at the squad leader. "You can't be serious. You know as well as I do that we can't afford to waste any time!"

Arthur, was looking down at the table, as if he was remembering something… He had a melancholic tone in his voice. "I know… But I still want to minimize civilian casualties…"

"Is this about Boston? Arthur! You can't-"

"We're taking that town!" Arthur shouted "And that's final!"

Ellie stares at Arthur as she notices very minute traces of tears… "Arthur…"

Elysse gives a disappointed sigh. "Fine. We'll solve the problem at Rivet City first but I hope you all know of the consequences of this"

Arthur raises his head. His face showing how serious he really was, which was a rare sight. "That concludes the briefing. We move by tomorrow at 3am." He and Ellysse then leave the tent.

Ellie couldn't stop staring at Arthur as he leaves the tent. "What's wrong with him?"

Kodiak rests both his arms on the table, he had a concerned look on his face. "Arthur wasn't always like that…"

"What do you mean?"

"Before any of you joined, he was an elder."

"An elder?" Vyse wondered "But he's a Sentinel. Did he get demoted or something?"

"Back in 2287, he was assigned to Boston, a place north of the Capital Wasteland. He became the Elder of the Brotherhood Chapter there. But he was a different man back then…"

"Different man…?" Ellie muttered

"He didn't really follow Elder Lyons' ideals of helping the people. He believed that anyone outside of the Brotherhood would use the advanced tech for evil. He embraced the isolationist ideology of the Western Brotherhood. Although, he still helped the locals but he used to think that all of them were expendable…"

"No way…"

"Then one day, something happened there… I don't know what but most of our brothers & sisters, including civilians were killed. He returned to the Capital Wasteland by 2289 and decided to step down as elder. The details of what happened were kept secret. I don't know what happened but he seems to be carrying a burden… But because of what happened, he finally saw the light and understood the reasoning behind Elder Lyons' actions and accepted them…"

"So is there still a chapter at Boston?" Ellie asked

"There still is. But we're not as influential there as here…"

Vyse stares at the exit of the tent. "Looks like we all have backstories…"

 **The next day:**

 **3:00am:**

The members of Lyons' Pride meet by the shore.

Vyse checks his gun as he notices Arthur is still showing a serious face. "So what do we do?"

"From what Knight Ellie has told us" Arthur answered "There should be a records room within the ship. Also, there should be a broadcast room too, judging from the speakers placed all over the refugee camp"

"So we're gonna do this like in Girdershade" Marina uttered

"Looks like it" Ellie answered

"Are you sure, 'he' should be here?" Coby asked as he points at Marco

"Dallas trusts him" Marina answered "Besides he's defected already"

"Yeah… But I still don't trust him…"

Marco hangs his face low.

"Cut it out Coby" Kodiak said "Let's just keep an eye on him"

"Ellie." Arthur said "We'll be counting on your Pip-Boy to find the records and broadcast rooms"

"Leave it to me!"

Using a makeshift boat, the members of Lyons' Pride reach the boat's sides. Using grappling hooks, the members infiltrate the Upper District.

"Ok" Arthur whispered "Some of the security personnel here are not from the NCR. Non-lethal takedowns only"

"Right" everyone responded

Entering from the bridge, Ellie spots about 5 NCR troopers, all gathered together. She signals the others of her observation.

Vyse, Kodiak, Coby and Arthur crept slowly towards the troopers. With a nod from Arthur, Ellie fires her Dart gun at one of the guards, knocking him out. Before the other guards could react, the 4 Brotherhood soldiers rise up. Vyse sucker punches one in the face, Kodiak puts another on a choke hold, Coby punches another in the stomach and Arthur unleashes a combo of punches & kicks on the last one.

With the threats neutralized, the members now move down towards the records room. Neutralizing guards on the way, they eventually reach their destination. Once they neared the records room, Ellie notices 2 NCR rangers guarding the door. Ellie quickly neutralizes both with her Dart gun.

"Clear" she said as the other members converge on the door.

Entering the room, Lyons' Pride finds a computer and a safe.

"Ellie. Check the Computer. Vyse. The safe." Arthur commanded

"Right!" both replied

"Damn!" Ellie whispered "They changed the password. Gonna take me some time for me to hack this"

"Copy…" Arthur replied "Vyse, how's the safe?"

"This thing's gonna be tricky" he answered "Give me a few minutes"

Coby then takes his helmet off. "My neck is killing me…"

Marco then notices a red laser aimed at Coby's head. Acting quickly, the former NCR trooper fires his rifle at the source of the laser, killing the NCR ranger that was about to shoot Coby.

"God Damn…" Coby said "Didn't expect you to save me…"

Suddenly, the lights come alive and the alarm sounds.

"We've been spotted?!" Vyse muttered

"No…" Arthur said "More like they were expecting us!"

"Look alive!" Marina said as she begins to open fire by the door "NCR Rangers straight ahead!"

"Damn it! It's a trap! Ellie, Vyse work fast!"

"Arthur!" Elysse said "Should we go lethal?"

Arthur did not respond. He was weighing his options.

"Arthur? Arthur? ARTHUR!"

Elysse's voice snaps the Sentinel back into reality.

"Arthur! Should we go lethal?"

"Only if necessary…" he responded "Otherwise, just injure them!"

"Easier said than done…" Marina muttered as she aims at a Ranger's right leg.

Coby and Kodiak then stand up and begin firing their minguns at the choke point. Halting the Ranger's advance.

"Ellie, Vyse. Any time now!" Marina uttered

"Almost there…" Vyse muttered as he slowly turns the lock on the safe "And…. Got it!"

The safe opens and the knight sergeant grabs whatever documents he could find inside. "How's your end, Ellie?"

"Working on it… Damn it! Last try before I'm locked out! 5 out of 10 letters right, gonna be one huge gamble…"

"Just do it!" Vyse said as Ellie goes for one last attempt.

"Got it!" she muttered as she extracts the files, including an audio recording, which plays automatically.

* * *

"The rebels will overrun the Citadel and Purifier soon! They could even be targeting Rivet City right now"

"What about the refugees?"

"Some have already volunteered but the others choose not to take part in the conflict"

"Then make them!"

"What?"

"I said force them! I cannot afford those rebel barbarians to come in and wrest control of this power from me! I worked too long and too hard to get here!"

"But Mr. Bannon-"

"Do it! Or I'll find someone else who would!"

"… Alright"

* * *

"Son of a bitch…" Ellie muttered "Want to maintain your power so you'll resort to this kind of shit eh… Not on my watch! With these 2 recordings, you're going down you bastard! Guys! I got the files!"

"Good!" Arthur uttered "Pride! We move to the broadcast room now!"

With that, Lyons' Pride moves out. Using Ellie's Pip-Boy, they discover the location of the broadcast room and head towards it but the waves of enemy forces just won't end.

 **3** **rd** **Floor Hallway, a few meters from the Broadcast room:**

The hallway was packed with NCR troops, using several tables as cover.

"There's no way around them!" Vyse said as he fires his rifle from cover "What do we do?"

"You think we should charge in?" Marina responded as she returns fire

"Not a good idea…" Elysse responded "With Dallas not with us, we don't have a proper medic. We can't be reckless"

"But we have no choice" Ellie replied "Coby and Kodiak are wearing power armor. Why don't we use them as cover?"

"We're not sure if the power armor can withstand a hail of bullets from the NCR"

"Well, it's better than sitting here doing nothing!"

"Its fine" Coby said "Me and Kodiak will provide cover!"

Just that, the two men break cover and begin to slowly walk towards the NCR troops, while firing their miniguns, at the same time ensuring they don't kill anyone.

Ellie and the others quickly advance towards the troops. She then notices several Rangers wielding Chinese Assault Rifles instead of the standard Service Rifle.

"They have armor-piercing bullets…" she muttered as she quickly slides under Coby's feet and dashes towards the NCR troops, completely ignoring the hail of bullets that came her way.

Reaching the soldiers, the mercenary quickly fires her Dart gun on one and kicks another in the face. She then proceeded to punch one ranger in the face.

At the same time, a Ranger pulls out a knife and attempts to stab the mercenary. Ellie quickly evades the swing and grabs on the man's arm. She then pulls him towards her as she does a headbutt. "All clear!"

The others then quickly converge on the door. Ellie, Arthur and Marco enter the room.

Using the broadcast equipment, they managed to quickly broadcast the incriminating recording on the city's speakers.

 **Rivet City; Lower District Refugee Camp:**

The broadcast was playing clearly at the speakers. The refugees simply stood there, listening at the broadcast. Their faces show how angry they are…

"Bitches… Greedy bitches!" a refugee shouted as he and many others begin to attack NCR soldiers "Take their guns! Let's show these NCR bastards what we can really do!"

 **Rivet City; Upper District Broadcast Room:**

"I can see the activity down there…" Arthur muttered "We've got a full-on uprising"

"But… several of the refugees are getting gunned down…" Ellie muttered

Arthur gives a pained look. "At least WE'RE not the ones killing them…"

* * *

On that day, about a few hundred refugees were gunned down by responding NCR troops. But in the end, they flooded the Upper District. Even some of Rivet City's Security Force defected after hearing the broadcast… Soon, the refugees managed to capture the NCR-backed council leaders. With new leaders in place and Marco deciding to head the security force, Rivet City has now officially joined the Sons of Liberty.

* * *

 **Rivet City; Upper District; Flight Deck:**

 **2:30pm:**

Arthur stares at the sea as he begins to think deeply. He then brings out a burnt bracelet.

Elysse then walks closer to the Sentinel. "Still thinking about 'her'?"

"Yeah… Mary… Only 10 years old and she had to die like that…"

"What happened at Boston is in the past now… You gotta move on"

"I know… I'm really grateful to those two men…"

"You talking about the Wanderer and the survivor?"

"Yeah… I strayed from the right path and became a self-righteous prick… Tell me, Elysse was this attack the right thing to do? The upcoming battle's gonna be harder now..."

Elysse smiles as she embraces Arthur "Well that just means we're gonna have to work harder! Besides, you're not alone Arthur. As you always said to us"

"Elysse…"

Arthur then clenches his right hand, still holding the bracelet as he throws the item into the sea. "Mary… I'm sorry… Rest in Peace"

 **The Citadel; Courtyard:**

Meanwhile at the Citadel, NCR soldiers are scurrying to improve their defenses.

"Get those barricades in place already! Move! Move!"

A middle-aged NCR soldier, wearing a coat and smoking a cigarette, emerges from Ring A.

"General Alexander! The power armor is prepared!"

"Good… Deploy them now. Not every day we're lucky enough to be able to divert the rebels"

"Yes sir!"

He smiles as he stares at the gray sky and puffs a smoke. "Lieutenant. Weather's beautiful today, isn't it?"

"Sir?"

"Nothing… Just noting the weather. Get back to your duties, lieutenant"

At the same time, NCR soldiers, donning different kinds of power armor, emerge from Ring A as they go to their respective positions.


	22. Solid Steel

**Arlington Library; Briefing Room:**

 **The next day:**

As rebel forces surround the Purifier and the Citadel, the leaders convene one last time to discuss about the coming attack.

"What do you have for us, Jack?" Arthur asked

The mercenary leader stands up, holding a piece of paper. "The Purifier seems to be lightly defended compared to the Citadel. We spotted heavy troopers in power armor reinforcing the Citadel Walls. While the Purifier only has standard NCR infantrymen stationed there, save for a couple of Rangers. "

"Power armor?" Johannes muttered "How could the NCR have gotten the training to wear and operate one?"

"I'm guessing Gusurg…" Arthur answered "He was a former brother…"

"God damn it…"

Arthur then looks at the mercenary leader. "Jack, continue"

"Right. Weapon-wise, these same power armored soldiers seem to be dual-wielding miniguns or have mounted weapons on them… The rest are armed with your standard service rifle"

Senora then leans forward. "This just keeps getting better and better…"

"Anyway…" the mercenary leader continued "Enemy vertibirds are also in the area and we reckon that they will use them… And that's about it"

"Who's the enemy commander?" Reilly asked

"General Alexander" the Sentinel answered as he pulls out a dossier "One of the NCR's great generals, although he's 1 rank below General Lee Oliver. Promoted to his position sometime around the 2280s… Says here that he's a brilliant tactician and is well-respected by both his allies and his enemies… He was also the commander of the NCR troops that attacked Legion territory in that same time period… Plus he's the commander behind the NCR forces that took the Citadel and Purifier in the first place. In other words, he's one tough motherfucker…"

Red then turns to Arthur. "Fortified Defenses, a Brilliant Tactician for a commander… Arthur, are we still gonna try an attack?"

Arthur ponders to himself for a moment before saying "If we attack now, we'll most likely suffer casualties…"

"Now I'm wondering if it was a good idea to take care of Rivet City…" Laren uttered

Marco was about to speak out but Senora beat him to the punch…"So you would rather shoot civilians who were forced to fight in this war?"

The old man gives the Regulators leader the evil eye. "You're not looking at the big picture here, girl! Because of that little skirmish, we're now at a disadvantage! It's bad enough that we're facing against an enemy commander of that caliber but giving him time to prepare and plan?!"

"So what do you propose we have done?! Allow our men to murder innocent refugees who were forced to fight?!"

Before things could escalate further, Arthur intervenes. "Enough!"

"Jack" he said as he turns to the mercenary leader "You promised me supplies, where are they?"

The mercenary leader smiles as he pulls out his radio. "Is it here yet?"

After a few seconds, the mercenary leader puts his radio down. "It's here"

 **Outside:**

As the leaders gather outside, one could feel the tension in the air…

"There's nothing here…" Laren remarked

"What are you trying to show us, Jack?" the Sentinel asked

Jack smiles as he pulls out his radio. "Get in here"

Less than a minute later, the sound of car engines roars throughout the place. Soon, 10 buggies, each with several mounted guns, arrive. As the buggies stop, Jack and several of his mercenaries begin to unload the cargo.

The other rebel leaders were dumbfounded. Seeing a fully functioning car is already rare, if not impossible, but to see 10 of them…

"What are these…?" Arthur asked

"Buggies…" the mercenary leader answered

A suspicious Senora takes a closer look at one of the buggies. "Where did you get these things?"

"It's a pretty interesting story actually" Jack answered "After we were booted out of our hideout back in 2278, we went looking for a new one. The DC Ruins didn't go so well because of the Super Mutants so we went somewhere outside of the Capital Wasteland. We then found a vault. Most of the people inside were already dead but it was a gold mine of weapons and supplies."

"Why only unleash them now?" the Regulators leader said

"Such hostility… As I keep telling you, I run things differently. So stop bitching at me about past events that I had absolutely no control over!"

"Bitching!? I'll show bitching you no good piece of-"

"Senora enough!" Arthur intervened "Are these the weapons you promised?"

"Why yes they are! These buggies will provide us with fast transport to the enemy stronghold. With these mounted guns, we can make it rain lead all day long! They won't even know what hit them! But that's not all"

A Talon Company Mercenary then opens 2 crates, one contained a very long sniper rifle and another contained what looked like to be a missile launcher.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you the PTRD1941 Anti-Tank Sniper Rifle" the mercenary leader said as he picks up the long sniper rifle "This baby fires .50 caliber armor piercing rounds. Fully automatic too! These things can drill through power armor like it was just a piece of cloth! It's heavy though so you may want to stay in a safe area if you want to use it properly unless you're confident with your strength"

He then hands it over to Arthur, who was shocked at the weapon's weight. "Damn… This is heavy…"

The mercenary leader then picks up the missile launcher. "Next on the list is the FIM-92 'Stinger' Missile Launcher. This will be great against those vertibirds. Unlike regular rocket or missile launchers, this one has a lock-on system. All you need to do is keep that vertibird within the launcher's sights. Once you hear the beeping sound, you can fire and that missile will follow that vertibird even if it moves to the side. The rest don't really need to be elaborated but let me name a few... We have an AK-74, AK-74u, and M4A1… Well I'll go on and on if I keep this up so I'll leave the introducing the other guns to my boys here…"

"Interesting…" Arthur said "These would be great for our assault on both targets!"

"But where did you get the fuel for those cars?" Fawkes asked "I'm not sure but I do have this feeling that those cars need fuel to move. And that fuel is no longer abundant here…"

"A good question…" the mercenary leader answered "Instead of the so-called 'gasoline' that every old geezer and ghoul would tell you, we found this interesting substance called Oilix inside the vault and the schematics on how to make one. Making one is almost too easy since the ingredients are everywhere. Now, I hope you can see how helpful my services are…"

"These weapons are really impressive…" Arthur said "What do you guys think?"

"They will prove to be useful in the coming battle!" Fawkes remarked "I shall have some of my brothers utilize them as soon as possible!"

"I guess beggars can't be choosers…" Red said "We gotta make do with what we have then!"

"Do we even have a choice in the matter?" Laren remarked "We don't have much time so we have no choice but to accept this"

"I still don't trust you…" Senora said "But if these weapons will give us an edge then I guess we have no choice but to use them…"

"It's agreed then" Arthur said "Thank you, Jack. Now, let's get ready for the battle… It'll be something that a lot of us won't soon forget… You know what to do"

"Yeah" the other leaders answered

As the other leaders disperse to do their respective businesses, Johannes simply stood there, staring at the buggies and supply crates…

 **Meanwhile:**

Ellie walks into the medical tent and approaches Dallas who was reading a book.

"How are you feeling?" the mercenary asked

"I'm ok now thanks… I'll be out in a few days"

"That's great… I'm sorry but can you tell me what happened during that time at the radio station? I haven't gotten the chance to ask you since you were out cold for a while…"

"About that… it was pretty weird actually…"

"What do you mean?"

"When I spotted the Ranger, he was ready to fire but he wasn't aiming for the head or heart"

"What do you mean?"

"It's like he intentionally missed…"

"He intentionally missed…?"

"Yeah… He shot me in the stomach yes but… I'm sorry that's all I could remember…"

"It's ok… I think I've heard enough… Anyway, I gotta go Dallas. Take care of yourself…"

"Yeah…"

As the mercenary exits the tent, Dallas reaches into her pocket and picks up a necklace, in the center was a small cross. "Ellie… I should be saying that to you…"

 **A few minutes later:**

Ellie and the other members of Lyons' Pride gear up as the battle draws near.

"You ready for this Ellie?" Vyse asked as he checks his rifle

"Yeah…" she replied as she pulls out an AK-74, customized with a grenade launcher, from her locker

"Whoah" the knight sergeant remarked "New gun?"

"Yeah… It was part of the shipment of new weapons that those guys from Talon Company brought…"

"Whoah… Any new energy weapons by any chance?"

"Nope… All only regular rifles, SMGs and pistols"

"Aw… Oh well. Not like my baby right here disappointed me in any way…"

"Yeah well while you stay in the past…" Marina said as she pulls out an Anti-Material Rifle from her locker "I'm gonna have fun with my new toy!"

"The fuck!?" the knight sergeant said "You got a new gun too?"

"Well… Energy weapons are good and all but nothing beats the sound, stopping power and smell of good ol' lead!"

"Screw you, Marina! I look to the future of weaponry!"

"The 'future' huh? I wonder about that…"

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

Marina didn't utter a word as she simply gives a mischievous smile to Vyse.

"Y-You…" he said

"Hey guys" Coby interrupted "Cut the chitchat, we need to scramble! The Citadel isn't gonna free itself, you know!"

"Right!" everyone said in unison

 **Outskirts of the Citadel:**

"It's almost time…" Arthur muttered as he stares at his watch

"Dividing our forces huh…" Vyse muttered "You think it's a good strategy considering what we'll be facing?"

"I think so…" Elysse answered "We'll concentrate most of our force on the Citadel. The Purifier is not really a priority but we can't ignore the NCR troops there, since they're close to Rivet City and the Citadel."

As Arthur's watch reaches 2pm, he turns to Marina, who was crouching and pointing her new rifle towards the entrenched NCR troops. "Marina"

Upon hearing her name, the sniper squeezes the trigger. The bullet flies straight and drills through the power helmet of one the enemy soldiers. After gaining first blood, the rebels commence their attack. Marina hops into one of the buggies as rebel forces charge towards the Citadel.

In no time, it was raining bullets. The buggies gave enough cover fire for the rebels to get close enough to engage the NCR troops. Several vertibirds attempted to provide support but the rebel's new arsenal enabled them to neutralize the aerial threat with ease.

Eventually, the rebel buggies managed to break through the enemy defenses, finally reaching the main gate to the Citadel.

Vyse and Coby check the gate as the other rebels secure the area.

"No good…" the knight sergeant said "Gate's tightly locked"

"Should we force our way through?" Ellie asked

"No…" Arthur answered "Even if we manage to take the Citadel, we'll have a hard time defending the place from infiltrators if it's too damaged… We have to make sure that we minimize the damage we do"

As Ellie looks at the Citadel's walls, an idea pops into her head. "Hey! I got an idea. I'll climb the wall. Tell me where the gate switch is!"

"Are you sure about that?" Arthur said "It's a long way up…"

"Do we have any other option?"

"Fair enough… The gate switch should be just behind that wall…" the Sentinel answered as the point to the area on top of the gate.

Wasting no time, Ellie climbs the wall as NCR troops, coming from the nearby bridge, engage the rebel forces by the gate. With a few close calls, the mercenary manages to climb the top of the wall. She quickly jumps down towards a catwalk.

Luckily, the NCR troops have yet to notice her. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ellie makes her way towards the gate's switch, eliminating 4 guards on the way…

In less than 5 minutes, she reaches the door switch and pushes it. The large metallic gate opens as the rebels finish off the NCR reinforcements.

With the front gate open, the rebels begin to pour into the Citadel Courtyard. Ellie quickly lunges from her position, doing an aerial takedown of two NCR soldiers.

Lyons' Pride then pushes their way towards Ring A.

 **The Citadel; Ring A:**

The corridors were filled with the sight and sound of gunfire as both rebel and NCR troops fight for control of the floor. However, it was a stalemate as neither side could advance further into the hallways.

The rebel's Super Mutant allies attempted to provide cover for the rebels to advance but NCR Rangers managed to skillfully eliminate 2 Super Mutant Masters and 1 Super Mutant Overlord.

"Damn those Rangers!" Coby shouted as he returns fire

"Not even the Super Mutants can help us…" Vyse uttered "…What do we do?!"

"Our power armor can't protect us from all those bullets…" Kodiak remarked "…We can't be too reckless…"

Soon, Ellie notices a vent on top of her, it was small enough to fit her. "Hey guys! I found a vent, I think we can flank them using this!"

Noticing the vent, Arthur turns to Elysse. "That's a brilliant Idea, Ellie! Anyone small enough to fit in that vent? We need at least a tiny squad to flank these bastards!"

Without a moment to waste, Marina, Elysse and a few rebel soldiers volunteered to go through the vents.

Ellie and the others then navigate through the vents, seeing the activity below. She eventually stops at a dead end and seeing a possible opening, the mercenary quickly opens the hatch and lands on top of an unsuspecting NCR soldier, which the mercenary promptly neutralizes with her hidden blades. Following Ellie's lead, the rebels drop down from the vent. Bursting from the door, the rebels opened fire at the surprised NCR soldiers. Another idea then pops inside the mercenary's head. "I got an idea!"

"What?" Elysse uttered

"I'll be taking this body to that room…" The mercenary replied as she drags the body of the NCR trooper she killed towards an initiate's room. A few minutes later, the mercenary emerges from the room, looking like a regular NCR soldier.

"What are you planning to do?" Elysse asked

"We can't keep stalling like this so, let me infiltrate their lines and take em out from behind! For now, just pretend to shoot me while I retreat!"

"… Fine… But be careful!"

The rebels then put up an act, pretending to shoot Ellie as she retreats towards the NCR barricade. Buying the ruse, the NCR soldiers cover Ellie as she makes her way towards them. Upon reaching the soldiers, she quickly punches two men in the face, knocking them out.

As the other soldiers respond to her attack, Ellie then kicks one in between the legs, neutralizing him. As two Rangers attempt to stab her with their respective knives, Ellie moves quickly and dodges the attacks as both men nearly cut each other.

In no time, the mercenary grabs the heads of both men and crashes them towards each other, knocking both men out. With the area secured, the rebels move onto the lab. However, NCR reinforcements from the courtyard pour into the halls.

The rebels stop to engage the additional NCR troops. Then, a NCR trooper fires a rocket launcher, missing the rebels but hitting the ceiling. The roof collapses, separating the mercenary from the rebels.

"Guys!" the mercenary shouted

"We're ok!" Elysse answered "You go ahead! The enemy commander should be in the lab area! If you manage to take him out, we'll demoralize the NCR soldiers around here!"

"Got it!"

 **Citadel; Laboratory:**

As Ellie walks into the lab, disguised as a NCR trooper. She then notices a giant robot in the middle of the room, luckily for her though, it isn't functioning. She activates her 'eagle vision' to spot her target. She sees the distinctive golden aura of her target, located near a large electronic map, and proceeds to walk slowly towards him. As she gets closer, she could hear bits and pieces of the general's conversation with a NCR soldier.

"Give me a report, Lieutenant!"

"Sir! Rebel forces have breached Ring A and B! It's only a matter of time before they reach the lab!"

"God damn… These guys either have a brilliant commander or a skillful soldier…"

"What are your orders sir?"

As Ellie aims her rifle at the general's head, the NCR general grabs a microphone and begins a broadcast.

"Attention all Rebel forces within the Citadel! I am Alexander Rodriguez! Commander of the NCR troops stationed here! I'm offering to surrender myself to you in exchange for the safe retreat of my forces!"

As the general repeats his broadcast, Ellie couldn't help but feel empathy for the man… She lowers her rifle as she notices another figure with a distinctive golden aura, who was about to fire his pistol on the general. Seeing the danger, the mercenary quickly fires her rifle, hitting the man's hand, causing him to miss his mark.

With her cover blown, the mercenary quickly ran towards some tables and created a makeshift cover using them. Pinned down by enemy fire, the mercenary couldn't even stand up to return fire! Desperate, the mercenary look into the pouches of her stolen NCR uniform. She finds a cylindrical grenade in one of the pouches. Taking a chance, the mercenary pulls the pin and throws it. Taken by surprise, the NCR troops shout "Grenade!" before it detonated into a bright light and an ear-piercing sound echoed throughout the room, disorienting several NCR soldiers. As Ellie saw this, she found her opportunity and charged towards the disoriented soldiers, knocking them out with a few well-placed punches and kicks. But a few soldiers managed to recover quickly. One grabs Ellie from behind as another punches her in the stomach. Having no other option, the mercenary manages to grab her pistol and shoot the man in front of her with it. She then breaks free from the other soldier's grip and stabs him with her hidden blades.

But she was not out of the woods yet, as another soldier lunge at her. Recognizing her attacker, Ellie mutters "Gusurg…"

"Hi…"

"Well. Well… I've been waiting for this you bitch!"

"Bring it on then!"

Ellie then attempts to slash the traitor with her hidden blades but the former knight managed to either dodge her attacks or parry them with his knives, which he wielded dually. As the two continue their battle, the rest of the rebels, including Lyons' Pride, burst through the many doors of the lab.

Ellie was momentarily distracted which prompted Gusurg to grab her and do a headbutt. The mercenary falls to the ground as the traitor was stabs her in the right shoulder.

As Gusurg was about to deliver the killing blow, Ellie grabs his right and left arm. Both individuals struggle to maintain control of the situation. With the knife getting cloer and closer, Ellie begins to grow desperate… "Let go…"

The mercenary heard a faint voice telling her to 'let go' before she inexplicably finds the strength to overpower her attacker. She then pushes Gusurg away and unleashes a combo of punches. She then leaps towards him and stabs his right arm with one of her hidden blades. She was about to end the traitor's life but she stops herself at the last second.

As the rebels pour into the lab, Ellie and Lyons' Pride move into the rooms behind the map. There, they find General Alexander and two other NCR Rangers. Immediately, both parties point guns at each other but the NCR general places his hands over the guns of both men. "We're done here…"

"But sir…!" the Ranger responded

"I said we are done! I said over the intercom that I'll surrender so I expect the rebels to honor my wish…"

Arthur then ordered the rebels to arrest the General and his guards. "This is Sentinel Maxson to all forces. The NCR commander has surrendered! The Citadel is ours! Don't chase after any retreating NCR personnel and capture as many of these bastards as you can, alive… I say again… Do not chase down any retreating enemy forces and try to take prisoners if you can!"

The general then smiles as he thanks the Sentinel. As he was about to be led out of the room, Arthur's radio comes alive once again. "Talk to me"

"Pride leader! This is Delta Squad!"

"Delta? James what's going on? What's happening at the Purifier?"

"You were right the Purifier was lightly defended but…"

"But what?"

"There's a lone NCR Ranger who's decimating our ranks!"

"Can you id the enemy Ranger?"

"No sir! He's wearing a mask!"

"Copy that, we'll be on our way!"

Ellie walks closer to the sentinel. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure but there's a lone NCR Ranger, at the Purifier, keeping our forces at bay!"

 **The Purifier:**

 **A few minute later:**

The members of Lyons' Pride arrive at the vicinity of the Jefferson Memorial.

"Good to see you guys!" James said as he greets the reinforcements

"What happened?" Arthur asked

"All was going well until we reached the inside of the facility. There was a lone Ranger and he's pretty much like a one-man army…Decimated almost 3 squads worth of troops"

"A one-man army…" Kodiak muttered

"Also…" James continued "… He said that he wants Ellie inside alone…"

"Me?"

"Yes… He asked for you personally…"

Ellie ponders to herself for a moment. "I'll do it…"

Vyse was shocked at the mercenary's quick decision. "What!? That's too reckless! It's obviously a trap!"

"Even so…" the mercenary said "… I feel like I know who this is…"

"Arthur!" Vyse said as he turns to the Sentinel "You can't possibly expect Ellie to go alone on this one!"

"You sure you can handle this Ellie?" the Sentinel asked

"What?!" the knight sergeant said

"I can…" the mercenary answered

"Be careful in there…"

"You can't be serious commander!" Vyse uttered "She can't go alone!"

"Vyse…" Arthur said "… Have faith…"

"God damn it!"

"Don't worry, Vyse. I'll be right back!"

"You better be!"

 **The Purifier; Main Control Room:**

As the mercenary enters the control room, she sees the lone NCR Ranger, taking his mask off, the mercenary quickly recognizes her foe. "Rufus…"

"Hi Ellie"

"So you're the 'one-man army' everyone's been talking about?"

"That's exaggerating it a bit… I'm just a skillful Ranger, that's all…"

"Skillful huh… We'll see about that!"

The mercenary then charges towards her foe and proceeded to unleash a combo of punches and kicks on him, which the NCR Ranger easily blocked. The merenary then jumps back.

"Same old… same old…" the Ranger said "If you keep repeating the same pattern, it'll be easier for me to kick your ass into the dirt. Which is gonna make this, hell of a boring fight"

"Don't underestimate me…"

"I should say the same to you"

Rufus then unleashes a right hook on Ellie. She blocks it with her left arm but as the ranger's fist hits her arm, the mercenary couldn't help but feel pain despite blocking his fist with her armguard…

"The fuck is that arm made of?! Steel?!"

Rufus chuckles as he shakes his arms. "If you've been through the shit that I've seen, you'd understand how and why I'm like this!"

"That sounds rather interesting…" the mercenary said in a sarcastic tone "But I'll have to pass and kick your ass right now!"

Ellie then unleashes another combo of kicks and punches but the Ranger easily dodged or blocked all of them.

After a while, the two fighters were starting to gasp for air.

"Getting tired?" Rufus taunted

"Not in… your life…" the mercenary answered as she continues to pant

"Well… Let's make things interesting then!" The Ranger uttered as he pulls out a shiny curved sword.

Ellie looks around and sees a long thin metal pipe. She grabs it and wields it like a staff.

Rufus smiles as he charges at Ellie. The mercenary quickly parries his slashes with her pipe. She attempts to hit Rufus' head with it but the ranger easily dodges her strikes.

"Gotta do better than that!" he said as he swings his sword. Surprisingly, the mercenary drops her pipe and blocks the sword with her armguard. Acting fast, the mercenary quickly flicks her right arms and stabs Rufus in his right arm. She then grabs his throat and pummels him to the floor.

With a blade resting just above his neck, Rufus couldn't help but chuckle.

"Still think I'm using the same old pattern?"

"Quick and unexpected but sloppy"

"Still have the resolve to smart mouth me eh?"

"What can I say, I'm a pretty calm guy"

As Ellie was about to contact her comrades, she felt the barrel of a gun behind her head.

"Arms in the air and stand up" the person from behind said

"You have got to be kidding me…" the mercenary said as she complies

She then turns around. "You…" It was the hooded figure she met at the Lincoln Memorial.

"I'm sorry but I can't let you go through with this"

"You're working for the NCR too?!"

"Working? No… It's just that this man here is important"

"Important?! Why you slimy son of a-"

The figure then points his pistol at the mercenary's forehead.

Rufus then stands up and walks behind the hooded figure. "Well looks like we'll have a Round 3…"

"You bitch…!"

Rufus and the figure then lead Ellie into the Purifier Chamber and closed the door.

"I'll gladly give you a Round 3 but for now, we'll have to part ways!" Rufus said as he and the figure move to the exit.

Ellie then brings out her radio and signals that the Purifier is secured…

 **Underground Tunnels:**

As Rebel forces move into the Purifier, Rufus and the Hooded Figure escape via the underground tunnel system.

"In that fight…" the Hooded Figure said "You were holding back, weren't you?"

"Oh? What makes you say that?"

"We both know that you could have easily defeated Ellie the entire time, even during the part where she had that blade by your neck. So why did you hold back?"

"You do know her role in all this, right?"

"Yes I do"

"Well then you should know why I held back…"

"I understand…So what's your verdict of her skills?"

"She's really improved a lot and I've noticed that she's already undergoing the sequence…"

"Oh shit…"

"Not yet… She may be starting to 'transform' but she's not yet lost… We still have time…"

"Damn it… Then I hope she fulfills her role as soon as possible…"

"She must… If the Capital Wasteland-no, the world is to survive"

 **Citadel, Meeting Room:**

The members of Lyons' Pride, including James and Audrey, take their respective seats as an elderly woman and a tall man, wearing a NCR prison outfit, enters the room.

"Elder Lyons!" Arthur said "It is an honor to-"

"Please Arthur" Sarah interrupted "No formalities… For those of you who haven't met me yet, I am Sarah Lyons, Elder of this Chapter of the Brotherhood of Steel. Now then I would like to thank and congratulate you all in your efforts. With your victory here, the Brotherhood is now unified once again and we can now bring the fight to the NCR"

"Also, concerning about this 'Rufus' character" Paladin Vasquez added "We have no records of someone going by this name…"

"No records?" Ellie asked

"No records…" The paladin answered "…The guy might have given you a fake name…"

"...Damn it…"

"Anyhow" James said "The fact that we managed to finally recapture the Citadel and the Purifier is good enough for now! Let's worry about him another time"

"You're right…" The mercenary responded as she suddenly remembers something

"What's up?" Vyse wondered as he noticed the mercenary's face

"I just remembered something I picked up"

"What is it?"

"Remember the room that me and the others poured out from?" The mercenary uttered as she brings out a holotape "I found this holotape there. I think it might be something useful!"

"Interesting…" Arthur said "Well then play it here!"

"Right!" the mercenary responded as she begins playing the recording…

* * *

March 21, 2282… I met a strange group of people today… After encountering a group of mercs who tried to kill me, yet again, these hooded people suddenly appeared before me. I asked who they are and they did not give me a straight answer… They simply said that they were just people behind the scenes. With my curiosity getting the better of me, I managed to pickpocket a note from one of the men and I discovered something odd. Turns out they are looking for some kind of relic hidden somewhere in the DC Ruins… I wonder… Been a while since I had an interesting adventure like this one so I decided to go. But since I don't know what I'm gonna face, I'll be leaving behind a series of recordings in case something happens to me, which I hope doesn't happen at all…

* * *

"Looks like the recording ends there…" Ellie remarked

"That voice…" James muttered

"Does the man on the recording seem familiar?" Ellie asked

"That was my husband…" the Elder answered "… The Lone Wanderer…"

Just outside the room was a Brotherhood Paladin, wearing power armor. After hearing the recording, the man quickly walks to a secluded location. Entering the closet, he brings out a radio. "She found 'it'"

"Ohohoho… The wheels are starting to turn…" a young female voice responded "… Continue to report on the progress around the Brotherhood… And make sure to keep an eye out for 'them'… I'll be the one to keep an eye on Ellie…"

"Yes ma'am!"

 **?:**

Elsewhere, the unknown woman puts down her radio. She then pulls out a necklace, with the symbol of a small cross in the middle. She smiles as she stares at the necklace. "This is when things start getting interesting… I wonder what the future holds. Ellie… I hope you can entertain me in the coming days…"


	23. Chasing Shadows

June 25, 2282. It's been about 3 months since I started this whole adventure… Haven't really done any progress because of Sarah's condition. Now, my son is born. Named him James, in honor of my father… I feel like I'm gonna walk out of my son's life, just like what my father did all those years ago… I hope I don't end up doing that though. I don't want him to experience the agony I felt… Anyway, with Sarah safely giving birth and my son being as healthy as a well-fed Brahmin, I think it's time to resume my adventure. I have this gut feeling that the Enclave may have known something about this… So I'm going on a little trip to Raven Rock and Adam's Air force Base. Here's to hoping that those good-for-nothing bastards have some useful info on it!

* * *

"Raven Rock…" Ellie muttered as she puts down the holotape "…Can't go there… But Adam's Air Force Base…"

"Still obsessed with those recordings?" Vyse uttered as he enters Ellie's room

Ellie chuckles for a bit. "Say what you want but I feel that these recordings will lead me to something good, or maybe even the Wanderer himself!"

Vyse shakes his head as he walks closer to the mercenary. "What is it with you and the Wanderer? Got a crush on him or something?"

"N-No! It's just that… I don't know but I have this gut feel that I have to meet him and this relic that he was looking for. I feel like I know it but I can't really put my finger as to what it is…"

"Huh… Another one of your weird gut feelings again…"

"Hey!"

"I kid. I kid"

 **Citadel Meeting Room;**

 **10:05am:**

"What!?" Vyse shouted as he slams his right fist on the table

"Vyse!" Marina retorted

"S-Sorry… I was just surprised…"

"Anyway" Arthur said "Are you sure about this, Ellie?"

Ellie nods

Vyse stands up. "You can't be serious"

"I am serious, Vyse. I have to do this…"

"Why?"

"The latest battle has exhausted our troops and the NCR isn't gonna wait for us to recuperate. So I think its best that you guys stay behind and defend our territories"

"I know how you feel, Vyse" Arthur said "But she's right. Taking the Citadel and the Purifier took a huge toll on our troops. Ellie's mission has no guarantee that it'll be helpful for our cause so Ellie has to do this alone"

"That's a load of bullcrap and you know it!"

"Normally, I'd agree with you on that one, Vyse but we have to think of the greater good…"

"Damn it…"

"Don't worry, Vyse. I'll be ok"

The knight sergeant sat down and grunted.

Arthur then turns to Ellie. "Ok, Ellie. We'll let you go but you should understand that we can't spare troops so you have to do this on your own."

"I understand"

"Alright then. Take these codes… Apparently, the NCR has reprogrammed the robots by the Presidential Metro. These will allow you to access MARGOT"

"Right! Thank you"

"Well then, good luck with your hunt..."

 **Fiore;**

 **Later that day:**

Ellie arrives at her hometown but she had no time to feel nostalgic, she did not even go to her home or even visit Polonsky. Instead, the mercenary enters the service tunnels that were connected to the White House. After taking some Rad-X and with only her Pip-Boy as a source of light, the mercenary begins her trek around the irradiated tunnels.

Eventually, she notices a familiar creature lurking about.

"Not this guy again…" she said as she noticed the ghoul

The mercenary turns off her Pip-Boy light and proceeds to sneak closer to the ghoul. She aims her rifle at the ghoul's head and fires a shot. The bullet lands on the mutant's head but the ghoul did not even flinch. It quickly turns around and faces the mercenary's position and gives out a loud cry.

Knowing that she has been discovered, the mercenary unloads an entire magazine on the mutant as it charges towards her but it was not enough to put the creature down. The creature then jumps towards her, and attempts to slash her with one of its appendages.

Thanks to her reflexes, the mercenary blocks the attack with her rifle, scratching its surface. She then grabs another appendage, which was aimed at her neck, with her right hand. Amazingly, she manages to pull the creature towards her and stabs the creature's chest several times with her hidden blades but the creature manages to squirm free from the mercenary's grasp. The mercenary then uses her reflexes to dodge the mutant's attack and do a counter attack with her hidden blades. Soon, with so much damage to its body, the mutant could not take it anymore and expired.

"The hell?! They're here too…"

She then hears footsteps from where she came. Preparing for the worse, the mercenary reloads her rifle and hides into the dark corners of the tunnel and waits for the source of the footsteps.

Minutes later, a tall man, wearing a merc troublemaker outfit, enters her line of sight, although because of her Pip-Boy light was off, she could not recognize the person's face. As the person turns his back on her, the mercenary quickly moved and placed the barrel of her gun just behind the person's head. "Hands in the air"

"Ellie?" the person said as he raises his arms "Is that you?"

"Polonsky?" Ellie said as she lowers her gun and the person turns around, revealing his identity to the mercenary "What are you doing here?"

"I just heard a loud roar and a couple of gunshots so I came to check"

"Damn… What have you been doing lately?"

"Ever since the town joined the rebellion, I've decided to stay behind and defend the town from any threats, be it NCR or mutant"

"Wow…"

"Speaking of the Rebellion… Haven't seen you in months. Heard a lot of stories about you, including the one where you created this little rebellion"

"W-Well… I-I'm surprised that there are rumors…"

Polonsky then pats the mercenary's shoulder. "Nevertheless… It's good to see you again, Ellie"

"Yeah. You too, Polonsky"

"So what brings you to Fiore?"

"I…uh… I got something to take care of…"

"Mind if I tag along? Been a while since our last adventure"

"Sorry, Polonsky but what I'm doing is kinda dangerous and-"

"And what?"

"And I don't want to endanger your life"

"You done, Ellie?"

"But Polonsky"

"No buts, girl. I'm coming along."

"Fine… You're too thick-headed anyway once you make up your mind"

"Glad you see it my way"

 **Presidential Metro:**

With sentry bots lurking around the tunnels

"So how do we get past these sentry bots?"

"Easy. They're really sensitive to noise so we can throw some debris and they'll investigate the area we threw it on"

"The usual 'throw-and-sneak' tactic?"

"Yep! Just like old times!"

"Alright… Let's not waste anytime"

Nearing the room where MARGOT is, the duo notices more sentry bots guarding the hall.

With no other way through, the mercenary brings out a pulse grenade and throws it towards the sentry bots, temporarily disabling them. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the duo moves into the room.

However, upon entering the room, the duo notices that the MARGOT's console has been destroyed, with electrical sparks still emanating from the destroyed console.

"The hell happened here…?" Polonsky wondered

"The damage looks recent too…" the mercenary remarked "… It can't be the NCR, can it?"

"Well… No use fretting over it… Let's see if we can find some clues…"

"Right…"

The duo then begin to scour the room for clues. As Polonsky investigates the lockers and other consoles, the mercenary checks on the main console. "I-I-I-Identify y-y-y-yourself…"

"MARGOT I presume" the mercenary said

"I-I-Identify y-y-yourself…" the AI said again

"Knight Ellie. Brotherhood of Steel" the mercenary answered "Allow me access to your database."

"P-P-Passcode"

"Walker Down"

"P-P-Passcode A-Accepted…"

"What happened here?"

"22:21 h-hours yesterday, a-a-a g-g-group o-of u-unknown a-assailants has infiltrated th-the t-tunnels… D-Destroyed s-several se-sentry bots…"

The AI's console suddenly started to spark. The AI was still talking but its voice was too distorted to understand ad soon, the AI falls silent…

"Looks like I'm not the only who's looking for this relic…"

"Did you find anything?" Polonsky asked

"Nothing useful… Let's move"

 **Tram Station:**

After sneaking past several Sentry Bots, the duo finally reached the tram station. Ellie activates the old tram and places the destination to Adam's Air Force Base.

"You know" Polonsky said as he sits down "All this sneaking kinda makes you remember those years with Iron Cross…"

"Iron Cross…" the mercenary muttered

"All those merc jobs we used to do back in Texas…"

"You were part of Iron Cross?"

"Well yeah! Don't you remember? You and me were quite a duo"

"Really?"

"Ouch that hurts… You and me managed to survive the blunder at Dallas and-"

The mercenary then hangs her head low. "Dallas…"

"Oh right… I'm sorry…"

"It's ok… I don't really remember much from Dallas anyway… Apart from everyone dying, at least…"

The tram was then filled with an awkward silence as it makes its way through the derelict tunnels.

 **Adam's Air Force Base:**

 **An hour later:**

Upon exiting the tram, the duo makes their way to the surface.

The base was a huge mess. Debris was everywhere and there was hardly any sign of life…

As the duo makes their way deep into the derelict base, they notice a lone mutant wandering the base.

"Shit! A Deathclaw!" Polonsky whispered as the duo hides behind some debris

"A Deathclaw… Well ain't that shit…"

Sneaking past several Deathclaws, they soon make their way towards the remains of the Enclave mobile walker…

"So… what are we looking for anyway?" Polonsky asked

Ellie scans the destroyed walker. "Wait here Polonsky. I'll be right back"

"What?"

"Trust me, I'll be back"

"Fine…"

Ellie then attempts to enter the walker as she climbs and swings her way through the debris.

"Not like I can't do that…" Polonsky disgruntledly muttered

After some time, the mercenary reaches a still functional door. She opens it and after traversing through a thick maze of twisted metal and debris, the mercenary manages to reach a terminal. "Wow… Never thought I'd find a terminal that's still working after all these years…"

After spending 5 minutes in hacking the terminal, the mercenary begins to look through the files stored in it. One particular file caught her eye…

"A secret vault inside the White House?" She muttered "Where's this 'White House'…?"

Nevertheless, the mercenary downloads the file into her Pip-Boy and makes her way to the exit.

Returning to Polonsky, the mercenary tells him about what she found.

"The White House, you say?" Polonsky said "It's that big crater near Fiore"

"Wow… Convenient…"

"I assume we're going there now?"

"Yep…"

Polonsky gives a disappointed sigh "It's highly irradiated though even after all these years…"

"Nothing a little Rad-X and RadAway won't solve, right?"

"...Always the hard-headed adventurer"

As the duo makes their way back to the tram station, a Deathclaw suddenly emerges from the rubble and grabs Polonsky.

"Polonsky!" the mercenary shouted as she comes to the young man's aid

Polonsky struggles to keep the mutant at bay as he grabs the mutant's arms. Ellie then fires a burst, hitting the mutant and prompting it to let go of Polonsky and jumping back.

The Deathclaw then lunges at Ellie, who carefully aims her rifle at the creature's head. The bullets lands on target and the Deathclaw flinches, missing Ellie and landing on a pile of debris. The mercenary then fires another burst at the creature's head, ending its life.

"You alright?" Ellie said as she helps Polonsky up

"Y-Yeah… I'm fine…"

The cries of deathclaws echo throughout the base. "Shit… Looks like they know we're here!" Polonsky remarked

"Looks like it's time to go!"

The duo began to run as hordes of deathclaws converge on them. Both individuals fire their AKs at the monsters but it was not enough to deter the entire horde.

Another deathclaw manages to ambush the duo with Ellie narrowly dodging the creature's claws. The mercenary fires a short burst at the mutant's legs before pressing on.

 **Tram Station:**

Upon reaching the tram station, the duo quickly barricade the door but they know that it won't last as the deathclaws continue to bang at it.

It did not take long for the deahtclaws to destroy the door and continue their pursuit. Quickly reaching the tram, Ellie quickly operates the console.

"Come on! Come on!" She shouted as the tram's systems refuses to comply

"They're here!" Polosnky shouted as he fires his AK-47.

"Fuck this!" Ellie shouted as she tears the console open and begins to hotwire the tram.

After a short while, the tram finally responds and the doors close as Polonsky run out of ammo from his magazine.

Although the tram is moving, the deathclaws continue the pursuit as they begin to bang on the windows and doors. Luckily, a squad of sentry bots arrive and begin to attack the mutants, diverting their attention.

As the duo takes a deep breath, a deathclaw's hand suddenly bursts from the window.

"God damn it!" Polonsky shouted as he and Ellie fire their rifles on the mutant.

Unable to handle the damage, the deathclaw let's go of the window and drops to the floor, dead.

"Well…" Polonsky said "…Now that was really nostalgic, don't ya think?"

"Y-Yeah…"

 **White House remains:**

 **An hour later:**

Arriving at the heavily irradiated White House, the duo begin their search.

"What are we looking for now?" Polonsky asked

"Anything…" the mercenary answered "Find anything that could be out-of-place or worth looking into…"

A few minutes later, the mercenary notices a peculiar symbol etched in the corner of a wall.

She places her hand on top of it. The symbol then sinks into the wall and a hidden door opens.

"Bingo" she said as Polonsky comes closer

 **Secret Passage:**

As they made their way down the secret passage, the mercenary notices that the walls have changed. The walls no longer look like the ones she keeps seeing on Pre-War buildings. "These walls look even older than any Pre-War ruin I've ever seen…"

"I know…"

Soon, they reach a gigantic door.

"This doesn't look like something Vault-Tec would have made…" Ellie remarked "… The wall looks so old and these vault doors look like the double doors you'd see in some Pre-War buildings…"

"Anyway to open it?"

The mercenary began to scan the door and found a circular hole…

"Weird… Doesn't look like a keyhole…" She said "Which means I can't pick it either…"

"Looks like we reached a dead end…" Polonsky remarked

"Damn… And I thought we'd find something interesting… But I wonder if the Lone Wanderer found this ruin and said the same thing"

"Who knows…? Anyway, let's go home before the Rad-X wears off…"

"Fine…"

 **Utility Tunnels:**

As the duo nears the ladder, leading to Fiore, they notice a hooded figure, leaning against the wall.

"I've been waiting for you" he said

Ellie instinctively brings out her rifle. "Well. Well. Maybe you can answer a couple of questions I have"

"Question?" the figure said "I think you're mistaking me for someone else…"

Ellie then shines her Pip-Boy light at the figure's head. "You're the one from Girdershade"

"Nice to know that you still remember me"

"So you're not the one I met at the Lincoln Memorial"

"No. He's a different character all together"

"Why are you here, anyway?"

The hooded figure walked closer and hands over a holotape. "I came here to deliver this"

"A holotape?"

"It'll guide you to where you need to go"

Before Ellie could respond, the Hooded Figure quickly made his exit.

"I reckon you still have some adventuring to do…"

"Yeah…"

"Well… I hope it's just around Fiore so I can accompany you…"

 **Fiore, Ellie's House**

 **Later that night:**

Upon reaching her house, the mercenary wastes no time in playing the holotape.

* * *

July 4, 2282. After scouring the ruins of Raven Rock and Adam's Air Force Base, I found out about some kind of ruin built under the White House. Of course, I went in there and couldn't find a way to open it. Once again, I encountered another group of mercs who were after the same thing. They tried to kill me but they failed, miserably. I kept one alive so I can interrogate him on what he knew. He told me that they were sent there to retrieve some sort of data from the Airbase. I happily took it off his hands as he runs away into the wastes. Upon analyzing the data, I found out that my next clues is in a place called New Carolina… Although, not the first time I'd travel outside of the Capital Wasteland but I have a wife and child now… I wonder… Should I continue on? If I do this, I may be away for quite some time and I may as well do the very same thing my father did to me 5 years ago…

* * *

"New Carolina huh…" the mercenary muttered as she stares at her Pip-Boy…


	24. Author's Note 2

For this latest Chapter, I'd like to thank sithis1323 for giving me inspiration a few months ago. Sorry took me so long to do this. But a promise is a promise. :) Hope you like what I'm planning on doing. :)


	25. Nostalgia

**The Citadel:**

 **Early Morning:**

In the dark corners of the outer walls, three figures, covered by the darkness of the night, sit down by the corner.

"So her next destination is New Carolina?" said a male voice

"Yep…" replied another male "I gave her the push she needed"

"Let's just hope that all this will be worth it…" a female voice added

"It should… This plan has been set in motion way before any of us have been born… We have to see it through…"

"I believe Ellie will help us realize our plans. That artifact is as good as ours"

Concerned, the female figure responds "But hasn't she started degenerating?"

"That's true. We don't have much time"

"Have faith. Our predecessors fought and died to make this dream a reality. We owe it to them"

"Faith isn't enough to keep her from degenerating or turning against us. We gotta move fast"

One of the male figures then stand up. "Let's continue to watch her progress. I believe that she is our hope!"

The other male figure then wipes his face with his right hand. "Fine… But I WILL take action the second I see the situation going dire. That includes ending her life!"

The male figure then turns to the female figure. "You're the only one out of the three of us with the closest contact with her."

The female figure then steps into the moonlit road, revealing her identity. "So you want me to continue surveillance?"

"Obviously. It's what we do best, right?"

"I suppose… Although, I am getting pretty tired of all this waiting. When's the fun gonna start?"

"Patience. You know of our creed."

"Right. Right"

The male figure nods. "We're counting on you…"

The woman gives a mischievous smile. "I got it. I'll make sure the Pride goes with her"

"Good… Just a little more and we'll get our prize"

 **The next day:**

 **5:30am:**

The mercenary quietly closes the door of her home. "Gotta go…" she muttered.

As Ellie nears the edge of town, a familiar voice calls to her.

"Damn it…" she muttered as she turns around to see Polonsky running towards her.

"Where do you think you're going, Ellie?"

"Back to the Citadel. Got a war to fight"

Skeptical, the young man walks closer to the mercenary. "Are you sure?"

"Y-Yeah… I-"

"No need to lie, Ellie. I heard the holotape"

"What?! Wh-What are you-"

"You think you're the only one who can pull off shit like that?"

"Gah... Polonsky I-"

"Save it! I'm coming with you to New Carolina"

Ellie wanted to say more but the young man had already begun to walk towards the subway station. "Same old, Polonsky…" she muttered

 **Meeting Hall, The Citadel**

 **A few hours later:**

Seated in the room were the members of Lyons' Pride and the Rebel Leaders, including Elder Lyons.

The Girdershade Leader, Laren, leans forwards with a sour look on his face. "You're joking, right?"

"You want us to send a squad to New Carolina to check on something that we aren't entirely sure exists?" Reilly added

"I know it's a huge request" Ellie replied "But I know that whatever this artifact is, it could really be useful to the cause. Even if we find nothing there, we can still enlist any rebels in the area to stage an open revolt against the NCR. If we are successful, New Carolina will help us in tying a noose around the NCR!"

"Too big of a risk" Laren replied "Are you forgetting that the NCR's trying to take back the areas we took?"

"That is true…" Elder Lyons said "The NCR will not just let us sit here and relax"

As the leaders were divided in their opinions, Johannes stood up. "I say it's worth a shot"

"You're joking, right?" Laren responded

"No. I'm serious. Ellie does have a point. If she could successfully inspire the people there to rebel, they can help weaken the NCR's hold in Washington."

"But the risk is too high compared to the rewards" Reilly responded "Besides, even if New Carolina rebels, it's not a guarantee that they can rally dent the NCR. I mean, the NCR rolled over them a few years ago…"

"True… But we can't always play safe. As the saying goes in my old group, 'Fortune favors the bold"

As the leaders, divided in their opinions, begin to bicker about the situation, Elder Lyons stands up. Upon seeing her, the room goes quiet. "Knight Ellie has a point"

"You can't be serious!" Laren responded

The Elder leered at the old man who backed off the second he met her gaze. "She has a point. We need to take risks if we want to succeed in our campaign".

The Elder then turns to mercenary. "You know, sometimes, you remind me of him"

"Him?" The mercenary wondered

"Marcus" the Elder answered "My husband, the Lone Wanderer. Ever since I first met him, he was always the type to take risks. Fortunately, he manages to win every single one of those gambles"

"Uh… Th-Thank you…"

The Elder smiles as her gaze turns to Arthur. "Sentinel Maxson. You shall lead Lyons' Pride and aid Knight Ellie in her endeavors at New Carolina"

"Yes ma'am!" the Sentinel answered with a salute

As the meeting was about to be adjourned, James stands up. "I want to go with Lyons' Pride"

"James. If this is about your father-"

"It is about dad! I have a lot questions! Why he disappeared when I was only 15!"

Elder Lyons was silent for a while. "Fine… You can go with the Pride but be careful"

"I will, Mom!"

"I want to go with them too!"

Everyone stares at the source of the voice, who was none other than Audrey.

"You too?" the Elder said

"Yes. Wherever James goes, I go"

"Very well…"

"Thank you, Elder!"

"This just gets better and better…" Vyse muttered

 **Sometime later:**

 **Citadel Courtyard:**

Laren and a Brotherhood Paladin are sitting down in the corner of the courtyard, watching Paladin Gunny train a couple of volunteers.

"New Carolina…" the old man muttered "…I'm telling you, it's a waste of time!"

"Nothing we can do about it now…" the paladin answered "…The Elder has spoken"

The old man gives a disappointed sigh. "I still think it's stupid… Anwyay, that's not why we're here. Do you have 'it'?"

The paladin nods as he hands over a holotape to the old man.

Laren smiles as he stares at the holotape. "Battle plans, army distributions, notable officers & commanders, weapon capabilities. They're all here right?"

"Yes sir!"

The old man gives a sinister smile. "Alright. Now we only need to wait for the right time to use this"

 **Citadel Ring A:**

Scribe Jameson was checking the archives as Ellie walks into the room. "Ah. What can I do for you?"

"Can I have access to your archives?" the mercenary asked

"What for?"

"I just want to look something up…"

"Well… Since you're officially a knight, I can give you limited access"

"Thank you"

Ellie then begins to scour the records and one such record catches her eye. Almost immediately, her eyes widen. "Elder Sarah Lyons killed in combat 2278…"

Shocked by what she saw, she turns to Jameson. "What's this supposed to mean? Elder Lyons is alive. Why the hell is this here?"

"Honestly, I do not know…" the Scribe answered

"What do you mean you don't know? How can you not know?"

"To tell you the truth, it's a real mystery. We knew she died in 2278 but then she came back almost a decade later…"

"What the hell…?"

"Maybe I can answer that question"

The mercenary stares at the door and sees Arthur.

"Sentinel…"

It was another one of those rare times that he had shown a serious face. "Come with me"

 **Lyons' Pride Room:**

Ellie and Arthur sit down by the lounge. The Sentinel brings out two bottles of Nuka-Cola as he gives one to the mercenary and sits down.

"So what the hell was that record for?" the mercenary asked

Arthur did not utter a word. He brought out 2 holotapes and gave them to the mercenary.

Ellie quickly played the recording of the first holotape…

 **LINE**

She's dead… My wife's dead… Why…? Why did she die? Sarah… Damn it! It's just like with dad! I wasn't even around to protect her! God damn it! Last time I saw her was a few days ago… Why?! Why?!

* * *

The mercenary paused the recording, her face clearly shows how shocked she was. "She really died… But then, how is she alive now?!"

"Continue listening…" the Sentinel answered as the mercenary resumes the recording

* * *

The only clue that I got was that a group of mercenaries ambushed her squad. The battle took place around Raven Rock. I think I know where those bastards are hiding! I'm gonna look for them and I'm gonna make sure they suffer dearly for what they did! On another note, I find it weird that only her body was missing… The other members of her squad were there, dead but she wasn't among the dead. It's a long shot but maybe she's alive or I could just be denying reality…

* * *

"Shit… Looks like the Lone Wanderer was really upset…" the mercenary noted

"Of course. If you lose a loved one like that, you'd go ballistic too… I was shocked to hear the news too and it really hit hard on a lot of us"

The mercenary then plays the second recording

* * *

I found them. They were camping out near Raven Rock. I attacked them. Of course, I made sure not to kill them because I wanted answers. But to my shock, I saw Sarah. She was alive and well… I couldn't believe my eyes… I had to poke her a couple of times before I believed what I saw but she was alive… Naturally, I demanded answers but Sarah told me that she's as clueless as me. That was when one of the mercenaries explained the situation. Turns out the Western Brotherhood wanted her dead so that they can appoint someone who was easy to control. Fucking shit… At least, those assholes hired the wrong people, turns out these mercs were rescued by Owyn Lyons a few years back and looks like they have enough respect for him to not kill his daughter. Thank God for that… I thought I lost her… Anyway, from this day forward, I'll be acting as if Sarah's dead to avoid any trouble. As much as I want to go to California, I heard it's far and I don't even know how to get there… But I'll find a way to get back at those bastards but for now, I'm just glad that Sarah's alive…

* * *

The room was silent. Ellie stares at Arthur who seemed to be deep in thought

"So Elder Lyons was alive after all"

"Yes she was…" the Sentinel answered with his face hanging low "After she 'died', the Western Brotherhood wasted no time in appointing new elders. After several failed elders, I became the new elder. I was caught up with the fame of being the youngest elder that I… That I… I turned my back on the ideals that both elders taught to me… The Brotherhood was united again and just like our Western brothers, we looked down upon the people and simply saw them as nuisances…"

"Arthur…"

"I then went to Boston, attempting to claim the region for the Brotherhood. I even enlisted the help of a Vault Dweller… Then disaster struck when a group of hooded individuals stormed our base, including our airship. Killed so many of my brothers, including my officers. To top it all off, some of the dead were people who I considered to be my blood brothers… And among the hooded individuals was the Lone Wanderer…"

"What?!"

"Yes… After I begun to turn my back on the teaching of Owyn Lyons, the Wanderer was the first to criticize me but I shrugged him off and even threatened to expel him from the Brotherhood…"

"W-Whoah…"

 **Flashback:**

 **The Prydwen; Command Center:**

The airship was filled with the smell of gunpowder and bullet casings & blood cover the walls and floor. The sound of gunfire still roared throughout the halls…

Arthur was kneeling down on one leg, his right arm was bleeding, an injury that came from a blade. He stares, with anger, at the hooded individual in front of him. "Marcus! You traitor! Why did you do this?!"

"You calling me a traitor?" the hooded figure said "You turned your back on everything that Owyn Lyons built! You became a puppet to those rubes at California!"

"What do you know of the Brotherhood?! You're just a Vault Dweller who happened to be lucky! You weren't born into the order!"

The hooded figure then punches Arthur in the face. "SHUT UP! Don't you dare lecture me on what the Brotherhood is! The Brotherhood that Owyn Lyons built! That is the REAL Brotherhood of Steel in my eyes! If anyone's a traitor then it's you!"

"Fuck you! All because you did a lot of stuff for the Brotherhood, you think you're all that!"

"You still don't fucking get it, do you?" The hooded figure said as he grabs Arthur by the shirt and proceeds to lift him up. "You're being used, you fucking idiot!"

"Arthur!"

The figure turns around and sees Elysse, who was donning a customized Merc troublemaker armor.

"Get away from him!" she shouted as she pulls out an Assault Carbine

In the blink of an eye, the hooded figure drops Arthur and quickly closes the distance between him and Elysse. The Brotherhood Paladin attempted to fire her weapon but the figure pushes the gun's muzzle upward, making her miss all of her shots.

The figure then flicks his right wrist, revealing a hidden blade. He then plunges the blade on the Paladin's leg, and punches her in the stomach, effectively incapacitating her.

"Elysse! Damn it Marcus!" Arthur shouted as he tries to get up but could not.

"So naïve" Marcus muttered "…Don't even know when someone's toying with you. Oh well, you'll see the light, eventually"

* * *

Ellie was speechless as Arthur continues to tell his story…

"After that, Marcus had me and Elysse incarcerated at their camp as they decimated all of our positions in Boston…"

"Shit…" the mercenary uttered "…That must've been tough…"

"Yeah…"

"But more importantly, he also had a hidden blade?"

"Yep the same kind of blades you have… Make me feel nostalgic…"

The mercenary could sense the melancholy coming from Arthur's voice

"Eventually, I saw the light and realized that I was being used by the Western Brotherhood…"

"How did you realize that?"

"Well… He showed me the recordings that you heard and… more…"

"More…?"

"Nothing… So after realizing my mistake, I returned to the Capital Wasteland and stepped down as Elder… The Western Brotherhood tried to convince me otherwise but I refused"

"So who led the Brotherhood?"

"From 2289 to 2297, it was the same old scene, incompetent elders took the helm, some even got themselves killed… But 2298 was the year when things started to change… All of a sudden, Elder Lyons returns to the Citadel alive and well… At first, everyone was shocked and couldn't believe it, some even thought she was a synth. But it didn't take long for everyone to acknowledge her as the true elder and that's the story…"

"Wait… I thought she was supposed to hide out because the Western Brotherhood was after her? Why did she reveal that she was alive?"

"I don't really know… When I asked her, she wouldn't give me a straight answer…"

"How about James, everyone knows he's Elder Lyons' son. What's his story?"

"James joined the Brotherhood when he was only 8 years old. Marcus claimed that he was just a kid he found on the wastes, just like Vyse."

"And everyone just accepted that?"

"Yes. The Wanderer had a lot of influence in the Brotherhood"

"So how did everyone know that he was Elder Lyons' son?"

"Easy. Once his mother came back, a few people caught on and word spreads fast…"

"Oh…"

"Well it worked out ok"

"Well…uh… That's great…"

The room was filled with awkward silence. Arthur then looks at the ceiling. "You know, I can't help but feel that all these events are connected somehow…"

"What do you mean?"

"The hooded individuals, the artifact that Marcus was looking for, the Western Brotherhood's schemes, Elder Lyons' return… All of it… I feel that all these events are connected somehow…"

The room was silent once more and the atmosphere was filled with a sense of melancholy.

 **3 days later:**

 **5:30pm:**

The members of Lyons' Pride are trekking a vast desert as winds begin to move faster…

"Sandstorm… Looks like we need to find shelter" Arthur said as they attempt to look for shelter.

 **An hour later:**

Lyons' Pride finds shelter behind a hill.

"How much further?" Vyse said as he finishes lighting the campfire

"Based on the mark Johannes put on my map, I'd say we're still a bit far away…" Ellie answered

"Oh great…" the knight sergeant responded sarcastically "… We're really doing a lot just to satisfy Ellie's obsession with the Lone Wanderer…"

"Oh. Is that a hint of jealousy I feel?" Marina said mischievously as she brings out some Mirelurk Cakes "Aw… Poor little Vyse, unable to win the heart of the woman he loves!"

"Sh-Shut up, Marina!" the knight sergeant responded with a red face

"Oh look, the little knight's face is all red…"

Vyse simply grumbled, turned around and walked towards the corner of the hill.

Meanwhile, a group of cloaked individuals, donning different merc armor and gas masks, see the campfire and proceed towards the hill.

A few minutes later, Ellie gets a strange feeling of danger. Wanting to be on the safe side, the mercenary activates her 'eagle vision' and scans the surrounding area but finds nothing.

"Hey Ellie!" Vyse shouted from afar "What are you doing?"

As Vyse slowly walked towards the mercenary, a cloaked figure jumps from the top of the hill and lands on top of the knight sergeant.

As the other members of the Pride scramble, the other cloaked figures jump down from the hill and catch the unsuspecting soldiers by surprise.

Ellie attempts to help Vyse but before she could do so, another assailant appears on top of her. However, the mercenary manages to grab the assailant's arm and throws the person to the side.

"Vyse!" she said as she runs towards the knight sergeant

Before she could reach the knight sergeant, another figure lands in front of the mercenary.

With a flick from her wrists, the mercenary attempts to incapacitate the figure but the figure's armguards prove to be too tough for her blades to penetrate. He then flicks his own wrists, revealing a pair of hidden blades.

"No way… You have them too?" the mercenary muttered as she parries an attack from the figure

But before she could continue the fight, a tall bulky figure appears. "Enough!"

Ellie pauses as she stares at the bulky figure, who has a gun pointed at Arthur's head. "You there! Surrender or your friend's brains will splatter the ground"

Having no other choice, the mercenary surrenders.

"Take them away" the figure said as the other individuals begin to blindfold the members of Lyons' Pride.

 **Sometime later:**

After walking for some time, the mercenary notices that they had entered a cave.

"Where are we…?" Vyse whispered

"Dunno…" Ellie replied "From what I can hear, sounds like a camp. Shit… Must be a raider camp…"

"HEY!" one of the figures shouted "Quiet over there!"

 **A few minutes later:**

The members of Lyons' Pride were forced to sit down on chairs.

After her blindfold was taken off, Ellie notices that they were in a barely lit room and they were arranged in a circle.

The bulky figure then goes to the center of the circle. "Now then, all of you will tell me who and what you are…"

"The fuck are you talking about?" Ellie answered

The figure walks closer to the mercenary. "Smart mouth. Your little group was walking dangerously close to our hideout and your equipment doesn't really tell us that you're just regular wastelanders. So who are you people?"

Ellie stays silent as the figure goes to James, who was seated next to the mercenary.

"Hmm… You look familiar…" The figure said "So who do you work for?"

"Wasting your time, asshole! You ain't getting anything from me!"

"Oh really?" the figure said as he places his hidden blade just above James' throat "I have ways of making people talk"

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!"

The figure looks behind him and sees Audrey. He walks closer to her and stares at her face. Audrey gives a sour look in return.

"Audrey…?" the figure muttered

Surprised, Audrey could only mutter "What?"

"Audrey… Is that you?"

"How do you know me?"

The figure then orders his men to release the prisoners.

"What the hell?" Vyse said

"Audrey. Do you know this man?" James asked

"N-No"

The figure then removes his mask, revealing a face filled with scars, along with a black eye patch on top of his left eye.

"Those scars, that eye patch…" Audrey muttered "…Sithis?"

The man smiles. "It is you Audrey. It so good to see you again"

"Huh?" Vyse uttered "So you do know him"

"Y-Yes but it was years ago…"

 **Lounge**

 **5 minutes later:**

The members of Lyons' Pride sit down as they try to make sense of what transpired.

Sithis then emerges from the other room. "I'm sorry for jumping on you guys like that. But we're pretty cautious you see"

"Cautious?" Arthur wondered

"We're part of the resistance in New Carolina. Me and my crew go by the name, Scattered Bones"

"Scattered Bones…" Ellie muttered "Sounds familiar…"

"Anyway, if Audrey's here, I'd guess that you are all members of the Brotherhood"

"Yes…" Arthur answered "We're Lyons' Pride, a special squad working for the Brotherhood"

"Lyons, eh… I knew Owyn Lyons when he was a bit younger…"

"What?"

"He and I were partners once that was until we were sent east. We both shared the sentiment. That protecting the people must come first above all else."

"Wait!" Vyse said "You were part of the Brotherhood of Steel?"

"Yes, I was once a Sentinel and a member of the splinter faction located at Chicago. I was part of the expedition force that was headed to D.C. but I got separated on the way there. After a couple of months, I found the Chicago Chapter and settled there."

"I heard about Chicago…" Arthur said "The Brotherhood faction there was one of the first few chapters to deviate from the original chapter in California."

"Yes… We went against normal regulations. Not only did we recruit the locals, who were considered to be inferior, we also provided security and medical assistance with the technologies that we acquired"

"But I heard that the chapter was wiped out in a raider attack in 2289…"

"Yes it's true but not because of a raider attack…"

"What do you mean?"

"The Western Brotherhood has become more aggressive in subjugating anyone that they cannot control. The attack on the Chicago chapter was not caused by raiders. Rather, they were caused by the Western Brotherhood, disguised as raiders"

"But why would the Western Brotherhood attack another chapter?" Dallas asked

"My opinion on the matter was they want absolute control over the entire Brotherhood"

"Politics…" Marina muttered

"Yes… Politics. The world may have ended but shit like this lives on"

"So what did happen that day?" James asked

Sithis held his head low. "Audrey was only 7 years old when they attacked the base…"

"Audrey was in Chicago?" James wondered

"Yes… Her parents were prominent members of the chapter and my closest friends…"

 **Flashback:**

 **Bunker Alpha, Chicago**

Inside the steel walls of the base, the ground begins to shake and alarms echo throughout the halls.

"Shit! We're under attack!" Sithis, whose left eye was still intact, shouted as he grabs his M16A4.

"Oh no…" a tall blonde male uttered "… Nora! Audrey!"

"Morris! Calm down!" Sithis said "We gotta stay calm or else something worse may happen!"

"G-Gotcha…"

"Where are they?"

"Th-The m-medical camp in the surface!"

"Ok… Grab a gun and let's get moving!"

"R-Right!" Morris said as he grabs a M-14.

* * *

Morris was Audrey's dad and one of my closest friends. He was a real brother to me. We covered each other's back. We were an unstoppable duo.

* * *

 **Bunker Hallways:**

As Sithis and Morris traversed the halls, a squad of raiders spots them and begins to open fire with their laser weapons.

"Lasers?!" Morris muttered

"They look like raiders but their weapons don't suggest otherwise!" Sithis remarked as he and Morris return fire.

In less than 5 minutes, both men manage to eliminate the enemy squad. Sithis checks on one corpse and sees that the person is wearing a familiar necklace.

"A Brotherhood dogtag?" Sithis wondered

"Sithis! Come on! We don't have time!"

"Right!" he said as he picks up the dogtag

 **A few minutes later:**

Upon reaching the surface, the duo find that base in ruins as debris, fire and bodies were scattered all over the place.

"Shit…" Sithis muttered

"No…" Morris muttered with dread "Audrey! Nora!"

The duo then begin to frantically search the ruins for any signs of Morris' wife and child.

After a few minutes, someone replies to Morris' cries. "Daddy!"

"Audrey?" the father muttered as he heard the cry "Audrey!"

Sithis and Morris then began to frantically dig through the rubble. Unfortunately, another squad of raiders attack.

"NOT NOW!" Morris shouted as he fires his M-14, hitting one of the raiders in the head and another in the chest.

"Morris!" Sithis said as he opens fire on the enemy squad "I got this! You dig Audrey out!"

"Right! Thanks!"

* * *

While I provided cover fire, Morris frantically dug to save his daughter. Luckily, he was successful and to top it all off, Nora was with Audrey. Other than a few scrapes and bruises, both were ok. After pulling them out of the wreckage, we retreated back into the base sicne the surface was crawling with enemies.

* * *

 **Bunker Alpha:**

"Audrey, Nora are you alright?" Morris asked as he checks up his wife and daughter.

"We're ok, Morris" Nora answered

The base shakes once more as part of the roof collapses.

"Shit! We gotta get outta here!" Sithis said as he notices an individual on his right

Acting fast, he aims his rifle at the individual.

"Whoah" the man said "It's me"

"Damn it, Gerard!" Sithis said "I almost shot you"

Entering into the light was a tall black-haired middle-aged man.

* * *

Gerard was another companion of ours. Him, me, Nora, Morris and couple of other guys were quite the team, we were known as Sparrows. Gerard was our tech expert and an expert hacker. He helped decode a lot of the tech that we uncovered.

* * *

The base shakes once more.

"No time! Let's move!" Morris said

"Where to?" Sithis asked

"There should be a tunnel network inside the Elder's office" the father answered

"Whoah where did you get that info?" Gerard asked

"Long story. I'll tell you later!"

"To the Elder's office it is!" Sithis said as the group moves towards their destination

 **Elder's office:**

As they reach the office, the group finds the room empty.

"Where's the tunnel?" Sithis asked

"Right here…" Morris said as he pushes a panel on the wall. However, instead of a door, a terminal appeared "Wh-What?"

"Morris… Please tell me that everything's ok…" Sithis said

"I don't wanna lie, man" Morris said "But looks like the system's locked down this area…"

"Great… Gerard! Think you can hack it?"

"I'll try but it'll take a few minutes!" the hacker responded as he starts hacking.

Just then, Sithis spots waves of enemies headed towards their location.

"Shit we got incoming!" he said as he prepares a barricade just outside of the room.

"Daddy…" Audrey said as she grabs her father's shirt "… Will we be ok?"

"Everything's gonna be fine, sweety…" the father said as he pats his daughter's head "Now just stay with mommy and be a good girl, ok?"

"Ok…"

"Good"

Morris then goes to the frontlines to support his friend.

* * *

It felt like me and Morris were defending our position for hours but it was only 30 minutes… Gerard wasn't finish hacking the terminal yet and the enemy seemed to be endless…

* * *

"Gerard!" Sithis shouted as bullets whistle past him "What the hell is taking you so long!"

"This terminal's not an easy hack, bro!"

"Work faster, then! We can't hold out much longer!"

A few seconds later, the hidden door opens.

"Got it!" Gerard shouted as Morris and Sithis move back into the room.

As they made their escape, Morris spots one of the raiders holding a heavy weapon.

"ROCKET LAUNCHER!" he shouted as he pushes Sithis into the room.

As Sithis lands into the floor, he takes a look at the door, which took a hit from a rocket, causing part of the roof to collapse.

"Morris!" he shouted

"I'm ok!" the father replied "Get outta here! I'll find another way around!"

"Hell no! I'm not leaving you!"

"There's no time! Go! Nora! Take Audrey and go!"

"SHIIIT!"

* * *

Morris was cut off… We had no choice but to abandon him… Most likely, he died fighting those 'raiders'… Damn it… It should have been me who was left behind…

After that, we made our way through the tunnels and emerge on the outskirts of what-used-to-be Chicago. That was when things started unraveling…

* * *

As the group rests by a derelict bus stop, Audrey stands up and looks around.

"Audrey!" Nora said "It's dangerous out here. Come back"

"Mommy…" the young girl said "Where's daddy?"

"Daddy will meet with us later… Ok, so be patient"

"But mommy, we left daddy at the base!"

"Don't worry. Y-Your daddy will make it and meet with us soon!"

"Promise?"

"Promise"

"How were the raiders even able to breach the base's defenses?" Sithis asked "Let alone, why would they want to attack us… This has never happened before…"

"Not sure…" Nora said "But we need to get outta here and find shelter"

"Lyons…" Sithis muttered

"Who?"

"Owyn Lyons. An old friend of mine. He was headed to a place called Washington D.C. Maybe he can help us."

"Better than sitting here… Let's gather some maps and-"

But before Nora could finish her sentence, a bullet pierces through her chest.

"Mommy!" Audrey said as she runs to her mother's side

"What?!" Sithis uttered as he turns to the source, who was none other than Gerard "Gerard?! The fuck are you doing?!"

"Wanna know how and why those 'raiders' attacked? The Western Brotherhood offered to take this chapter back if they would follow orders but our oh-so-gracious elder, refused. So they sent a squad to destroy the chapter."

"You knew all of this…!"

"Not just knew. I orchestrated it!"

"What?!"

"I think that's enough talking!"

Gerard then fires another bullet from his pistol, piercing Nora's neck.

"Au-Audrey… St-Stay st-strong…" the mother said before succumbing to her wounds

"No! Mommy!" Audrey said as she begins to cry

"Gerard!" Sithis shouted as he charges towards the betrayer, who fires another bullet but misses.

Sithis then punches Gerard in the face, who quickly recovers and returns with a kick. Sithis parries the attack and does a two-punch combo. It seemed that Sithis would win as Gerard was on the defensive but the betrayer managed to dodge one punch and picks up a combat knife. Gerard then goes on the offensive as he attempts to slash and stab Sithis.

With one sweep, Gerard, manages to slice the man's left eye. Sithis cries out in pain as he covers the wound with his left hand.

"How does it feel, Sithis?" Gerard taunted

"You fucker!" Sithis shouted

"When you meet Nora and Morris, tell them I said 'hi' and don't worry, I'l ltake good care of the kid!"

As Gerard lunges towards Sithis, a Giant Wasp emerges from an alley and sets its sights on Gerard.

Taking the opportunity, Sithis grabs Gerard's pistol and goes towards Audrey.

"Audrey!" he said

"Mommy!" the young girl said as she continues to shake her mother's lifeless body

"I'm sorry, Audrey but we have to go!" Sithis said as he grabs Audrey and leaves

"NO! MOMMY!" The young girl shouted

* * *

We were betrayed… The entire attack was orchestrated by the Western Brotherhood and Gerard was one of the conspirators… Eventually, I managed to escape the carnage and luckily, I met up with a few survivors. Together, we formed a group and left the Brotherhood behind us. We would later call ourselves, the Scattered Bones, in honor of our murdered brethren…

For the next few months, we would travel from place to place until we finally reached North Carolina, or as many would call it, 'New Carolina'…

We lived there in peace for a time, living out as mercenaries for hire, until Audrey turned 10 years old…

For some reason, the Western Brotherhood found us and sent an assassination team to kill off any loose ends… Not surprising, the one leading the team was Gerard. Of course, we put up a good fight. But we were outgunned and outnumbered. So we had no choice but to abandon the base. Lost a few good men in the attack…

While we were escaping, Audrey fell off a cliff. She survived the fall but we couldn't get to her! I told her to head to North, to Washington D.C. and threw her a map and a brotherhood dogtag…

Good thing she listened…

* * *

 **Lounge:**

"And that's my story…"

"I thought you died during that time…" Audrey remarked "If only I knew, I'd…"

"No need…" Sithis replied "I thought it would have been better if you stayed away from me. It's good that you managed to reach D.C. and even joined the Brotherhood chapter there. How's Owyn Lyons by the way?"

"He's dead…" Arthur said with his head held low

"Oh… I'm sorry"

"Anyway" Vyse said "How did Audrey manage to reach D.C.?"

"Well…" James replied "We found her passed out in the wastes. My dad brought me along in one of his patrol missions and that was how we found her…"

"That's nice" Sithis muttered

"At first, she was a bit depressed, she even hated my company" James said "But I didn't give up on her. Long story short, she got over her depression and became a great soldier! And a beautiful one at that!"

"J-James!" Audrey said with a flustered face

"You still haven't told me your purpose here…" Sithis said

"We're looking for something" Ellie said "Do you know of a person named Marcus?"

"Yes." The one-eyed man replied "Met him in 2298. Helped out my crew during the NCR invasion but disappeared in the middle. Why?"

"We believe that he was looking for something here…"


	26. Visions

**Scattered Bones HQ, New Carolina**

Sithis paces back and forth as Ellie explains the purpose of their travels. "So you're looking for whatever shit Marcus was looking for years ago?"

"That about sums it up…" Ellie answered as she takes a breather "So do you have any clues about him?"

"I got nothing sorry…" the bulky man replied "I was busy fighting the NCR to notice anything"

Ellie was disappointed as she heard the man's answer and hung her head low. "Damn… Another dead end…"

"But I do know someone who may have the info you want"

The mercenary quickly raises her head. "Really?!"

"Yep. He lives in Arcadia, second largest city in New Carolina"

With a new lead, a smile quickly finds its way to the mercenary's lips. "Thank you!" she said as she asks for the directions

"But!" Sithis said, interrupting Ellie's momentum "Arcadia is heavily guarded"

"By NCR Rangers?" Arthur asked

"No" the man replied as he squints his eyes "The Western Brotherhood"

Surprised, Arthur and the other members could only utter "What?"

"You heard me" Sithis said "The Western Brotherhood has been helping the NCR in their war effort lately…"

"What do you mean?" Elysse asked

"They provide weapons, equipment, even power armor"

"How is this possible?" Kodiak said "The Western Brotherhood would never just hand over equipment, let alone weapons and power armor, to outsiders"

"I know…" Sithis answered "It's strange but that's what they've been doing in the past few years. Didn't you find it weird that the NCR had a lot of advanced weaponry and equipment, even rivaling what the Brotherhood had?"

"Now that you mention it…" Arthur said "They did have access to the X-04 Power Armor that we developed but I thought they were just stolen from our armory, if this is true then we're in a lot of trouble…"

"All the more reason for us to find this artifact" Ellie said as she stands up "We don't have time to waste."

"As impatient as ever…" Polonsky remarked as the other members of Lyons Pride laugh for a bit.

"I'm also coming with you guys" Sithis said as he prepares his gear

"Are you sure?" Marina asked "You did say that the Western Brotherhood is hunting you. They may recognize you on sight"

"That is true but I'm the only one here who knows the man you're looking for"

"Inconvenient but we have no choice…" Coby uttered

 **Arcadia:**

 **The next day; 4:00pm:**

Upon arriving at the city's gates, the Pride immediately notices two men in T-60 Power Armor guarding the entrance.

"Shit… Looks like getting in won't be easy…" Vyse remarked "What do we do?"

Sithis smiles as he points to the Eastern walls. "We can enter through there"

"What do you mean?" James asked

Sithis did not utter a word. He simply smiled as he led the Pride into the Eastern side of the city. He then moves a loose rock and buries his right hand into the sand. After a few seconds, he pulls up a rope which causes the wall to reveal a hidden door.

"Whoah…" Vyse uttered

"Did you guys think I'd risk getting spotted?" Sithis said with a triumphant smile

"Same old Sithis…" Audrey muttered as they group heads inside.

 **Arcadia, Town Square:**

The group manages to reach the square without arousing suspicion and despite the presence of patrols, they manage to evade them.

Minutes later, they stumble upon a bar.

"Joeyray's Bar…" Vyse uttered as he read the sign

"This is where your friend is?" Ellie asked

"If he's still the same old drunk then yes"

As the group walks closer, the bar doors suddenly fling open.

"Get outta here!" a tall man said as he throws a patron out

The drunken man tries to get up but stumbles. "Eh, fuck you!"

As the members of Lyons' Pride watch, Sithis walks closer to the drunk. "Jayce, what the hell man?"

"That voice… Sithis?" the drunk uttered as Sithis helps him up

"Still a drunk I see…" he said

"Fuck you!" the drunk replied "My life, my rules! Ain't got nothing to do with you!"

Ellie then walks closer to the duo. "Um… Excuse me but do you of a man named Marcus?"

"Marcus…?" the drunk said "Yeah I know him. What's it to ya?"

"Well I was hoping maybe you can help us"

"Hell no! I ain't gonna do shit squat no more, especially with Sithis here! I told you that I am NOT coming back! So leave me alone!" the drunk said as he walks away.

Ellie tries to say more but Sithis stops her. With the group hitting another dead end, they decide to step into the bar for a breather.

 **Minutes later:**

"So that was the guy who's supposed to help us?" Vyse asked

"More or less…" Sithis answered "His name is Jayce. He was a member of a group called the Iron Hands. Basically, my group and theirs helped keep law and order around Carolina. But the NCR invasion kinda crippled both of us…"

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked

"The NCR nearly wiped out his group. After the war, he himself disbanded what's left and they all scattered throughout Carolina…"

"Damn…" Vyse muttered

"So I hope you can understand why he's like that…"

"Yeah…" Ellie muttered "But that's not enough to just sit here and drown in alcohol while the NCR continues to plow through the wasteland…"

 **Big Town; Western Gate:**

 **The next day; 5:30am:**

"Same shit, different day…" A male teenaged soldier said as he sits down under the roof of the guard house "Damn this is boring…"

"Hey don't laze around!" the female soldier next to him said "We gotta keep an eye out for NCR scum!"

"But Pauline…" Teenage boy replied "It's been weeks, hell I feel like it's already been a month, since our last confrontation… I doubt the NCR's gonna do anything yet…"

"Lazy bastard…" the teenage girl said as she scours the wasteland with her binoculars

"You're not gonna find anything there…" the boy said as he fans himself "Come on we need some rest now and then"

"Shut up Chri-"

Before the girl finished her sentence, she spotted something from her binoculars. "Incoming!"

The teenaged boy was riled up by the tone and sound of her voice and quickly stands up to see an incoming artillery shell.

"Holy Fuck!" he shouted as he and the girl jump out of the guard tower, which took a direct hit from the artillery shell.

Upon landing onto the ground, the girl quickly sounds the siren, alerting the residents of the impending danger.

More shells then begin to pummel the area as the teenagers ran for their lives.

Meanwhile, in the other areas of the town, the rebels mobilize to defend their settlement from the attackers.

"NCR forces are attacking! Let's move boys and girls! This is no fucking drill!" A teenager said as he hands over guns and equipment to the other teenagers

 **The Citadel; Laboratory:**

Elder Lyons and Paladin Vasquez were overseeing the repairs on Liberty Prime when a Brotherhood Scribe came running.

"Elder! Elder!" he said

"What?" the Elder replied

"Big Town and Canterbury Commons have just reported that they're under attack!" The scribe reported "We've also received reports of NCR Rangers stationed in the Republic of Dave!"

"So they plan to take the areas in the East" Paladin Vasquez said

"Also, both settlements report artillery fire coming from the enemy forces" the Scribe continued

"Artillery?!" Vasquez uttered "This does not bode well… What should we do, Elder? If we attempt a counter attack, we'll be dividing our forces"

"But we can't just leave those settlements to die" the Elder replied "Mobilize all available troops! Move all that we can spare to the frontlines! We cannot lose any more ground!"

"Yes ma'am!" the Paladin said as he runs to the command room

"Get me a channel on all rebel leaders" The Elder said as she heads into Ring A "We need to address this as soon as possible!"

"Right away, Elder!" the scribe said as he runs ahead.

 **The Citadel; Prison:**

General Alexander sits down on his bed as he overhears the commotion in the surface.

"Hey what's going on?" he asked the guard

"Nothing you need to know!" the guard replied

"Oh come on" the general said "I'm an old guy locked up in a cell without any means to contact my allies"

"Shut up!"

"Fine… But mark my words. Things are gonna get exciting soon…"

"What are talking about?"

Alexander merely gives a sinister smile.

 **Arcadia; Inn**

 **5:45am:**

At the early hours of the day, the mercenary wakes up. "Can't sleep anymore…"

She then spots Jayce through the window.

"Where are you going…?" she muttered to herself as she puts on her gear and proceeds to stalk the man through the rooftops.

As she follows him, she notices that Jayce would stop and look at his surroundings from time to time, even looking at the rooftops, which prompts her to stay low.

"What are you hiding…" she muttered

Minutes later, she noticed Jayce exit the city. Ellie quickly jumps down and follows him outside the gate. Luckily, the guards did not suspect a thing when they saw her exit the city.

 **Arcadia; Outskirts:**

Ellie hides behind a tree as she observes Jayce stare at about 5 tombstones.

"Graves…?" she thought

"Guys…" Jayce muttered "Morning… Guess who I met the other day… Sithis. Bitch is still alive apparently…"

Jayce sighs as he seems to be recalling some old memories. "He's been bugging me to ignite the old fire of revolution or some shit like that but I don't know. I think that fire died after that mishap… I wonder, should I reignite that old spark?"

As Jayce continues to monologue, Ellie couldn't help but say "Damn" as she hears a few stories about Jayce's adventures with these dead people.

"Hey you!" Jayce said as he turns around "I know you're there. Been following me all morning! Care to show yourself"

Ellie complies and reveals herself to the man. "I'm sorry for following you"

"It's alright. Come here"

Ellie walks closer and looks at the tombstones. "Catherine, Marie, Kyle, Danny and Zhao"

"They were part of my crew…" the man said "We were known as the Iron Hands and along with Sithis' Scattered Bones, we were basically the law around these parts. That was until 2298 when the NCR attacked. We kicked ass when we're fighting raiders but well-trained and well-equipped soldiers are a different story then came the Battle of Arcadia. The Iron hands and Scattered Bones decided to use the city as a last stand against the NCR. If we could hold the city, we can keep the NCR at bay… But we didn't last long. We managed to hold the city for a month before it fell… Lost a lot of good guys, including my friends… These 5 here are just among the hundreds of dead…"

Jayce then points to the horizon. Ellie stares at the direction on where he is pointing and sees a lot of gravestones… "Fuck…"

"Yeah… 'Fuck'"

"So is that why you don't wanna help?"

"I'm still thinking, to be honest. My fire died after the battle but Sithis kept on bugging me about the 'good' fight…"

Ellie stays silent for a while before saying "I think Sithis is right. You should help him"

"And why should I? I'm retired, my friends are dead and my group's gone. Why should I risk my neck again against a losing battle?"

"What makes you think it's a losing battle?"

"Look around you, kid! The NCR has advanced weapons, equipment and tactics. They'll kick your sorry ass twenty times over if they could!"

"I formed a resistance movement a few months ago… It started as a small raider group, after freeing a couple of prisoners. That was when we started to dent the NCR and now, we hold half of D.C."

"You want me to be impressed?"

"No. I want you to help. Because sitting around and drowning in alcohol is not gonna stop the NCR. They will not stop invading lands that are not theirs! Once they're done with D.C., they'll go to Boston next and so on until they have the entire country under their control! I've read in a Pre-War Book that the only thing necessary for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. If you just sit there and drown in alcohol, you think that would improve the lives of the people?"

"And what would you have me do? Pick up my gun and die just like my friends?"

"At least it's better than drowning in alcohol and asking yourself 'what if I continued the fight?"

"You do have a point, kid. But for now, I'll stay in the sidelines…"

"Alright… But I hope you'll consider fighting the NCR again"

"Let's see where it goes. On another note, I feel like you came here for another reason"

"Yes. Do you know of a man named Marcus?"

"Marcus? Yes I know him. Showed up during the NCR invasion and disappeared right before the Battle of Arcadia. Why?"

"Do you have any clues about him? Do you know why he went here or what he did?"

"Now I get it…"

"What?"

"Nothing… Marcus went to this old building here" Jayce then marks the location on Ellie's Pip-Boy "I think he was looking for something and that old building was a hotbed of information"

"What about this building?"

"Used to be a Pre-War research facility or something…"

"Right. Thank you!"

"Whatever. Now leave me alone. I got some thinking to do"

"Right…"

 **Sometime later:**

Following her Pip-Boy's map, the group arrives at the remains of a derelict building.

"Wow…" Vyse said "Big ass building…"

"Must have been some kind of office" Arthur said as the group enters

Upon entering the building, Ellie notices a huge signboard, although most of the letters are gone.

"Must have been the name of this building…" she said as she reads the letters that are left "st tries…"

As she begins to walk away, the mercenary suddenly begins to hallucinate. The visions are returning… "Shit not again…"

"Ellie?" Vyse said as he noticed Ellie "You alright?"

"I-I'm fine…" the mercenary answered as she composes herself.

 **Arcadia Inn Lounge**

 **6 hours later:**

The members of Lyons' Pride sit down as they return from their long journey.

"We looked everywhere and nothing…" Vyse muttered

"Yeah… So another dead end…" James said

"Damn it… What the hell…" Ellie said in frustration "I'm sorry… Looks like it was all a waste of time…"

"No it's not" Arthur said "We came here for 2 reasons. One was yours and the other was to ensure New Carolina rebels"

"So is that our next objective?" Vyse asked

"If it's ok with Ellie, we need to start finding a way to weaken the NCR's hold on Carolina" Arthur said

"I'm fine with it" the mercenary replied "Let's make this trip worthwhile at least"

"On that note" Sithis said "I think I can help you there. The Scattered Bones need additional manpower, supplies and most of all, support"

"So you want us to help settlements and wastelanders across Carolina to increase the Scattered Bones' influence" Arthur said

"Yeah. Pretty much that. Wow looks like great minds think alike"

"Not really…" the Sentinel replied "This tactic just reminded me of what someone did back in Boston"

"Boston?" Ellie wondered

"Let's just say that a certain faction is now the most influential faction in the Commonwealth because of this same tactic" the Sentinel answered

"Alright then. I guess we'll be helping you, Sithis" Audrey said

"Glad to hear it!"

 **Scattered Bones HQ**

 **A week later:**

"Good work guys!" Sithis said with a smile "Thanks to your efforts, we managed to gain a lot of support! If this keeps up, we'll be strong enough to drive the NCR from Carolina in no time!"

"Yeah… That's great…" Vyse said as he catches his breathe "Can you give me a minute… These past few weeks aren't exactly relaxing… I mean I know everyone needs help and all but to suddenly be thrown into another job right after you finish one"

"You tell me…" Marina said as she collapses into the couch "…I just rescued a guy from a bunch of Raiders then a pack of ghouls attacked the settlement! I mean can't I get a break or something!"

"I know it's a lot of hard work but keep your chin up guys!" Sithis said

"Yeah. Yeah. Whatever…" Vyse said

Just then, a Scattered Bones member approaches Sithis and whispers into his ear

"What's going on?" Ellie asked

"Come with me" Sithis said with a serious face

 **Scattered Bones HQ; Command Center:**

As the group enters the room, Sithis quickly talks to one of his lieutenants.

"Sithis, What's going on?" Arthur asked

"Our scouts have just confirmed that a battalion of NCR troops are coming to their base in Fort Washington to reinforce their lines in D.C."

"What?!" Ellie said

"Looks like things are getting serious there…" Vyse said

"Yep… From what we can gather, the President's planning on going to D.C. to increase the morale of his troops"

"The President's coming to D.C.?" Dallas asked

"Seems so" Sithis answered "But we're still confirming. Don't want any false intel to slip past"

"Copy that" Dallas replied "So what's the battle plan?"

"We need to neutralize that battalion for two reasons: One is to weaken the NCR further and two is to show to the people of New Carolina that the NCR is not unbeatable!"

"So what do you propose we do?" Arthur asked

"We'll blow that fort sky high"

"But how are we going to do that?" Polonsky asked "That fort is bound to be heavily defended"

"Way ahead of you. I've used my connections and found several places of interest in the base"

Sithis then brings out a piece of paper, showing a rough sketch of the base's interior.

"Based on the intel my contacts have gathered, there should be refueling stations here which they use to resupply their vertibirds. Team 1 will plant C4 on those tanks and converge on the rendezvous point here by the hangar and if we're lucky we can steal ourselves a vertibird. Team 2, on the other hand, will go to the commander's quarters and steal as much intel as they could. Once that's done everyone will converge on the hangar. In the event we can't steal a vertibird, we'll escape through the base's sewage line"

"Wait" Coby said "You haven't mentioned how we'll enter in the first place"

"Thanks to my contacts, I've managed to commandeer a NCR Army Truck and uniforms. We'll be posing as part of the battalion and with the codes they gave me, we'll slip past security"

"Sounds like we're gonna get dirty on our way out…" Vyse said "Now I really hope we can steal a vertibird"

"Let's see what happens" Arthur said "So how will we divide the teams?"

"I'll have a squad from Scattered Bones deal with planting the explosives. Lyons' Pride and me will take the intel"

"Sithis" Audrey said "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah. I wanna see firsthand how you fight and I believe my men can handle C4 duty just fine"

 **Fort Washington; NCR Resupply Facility**

 **4:30pm:**

A green military truck stops in front of the gate as two rangers approach the driver.

"Who are you?" one of them asked

"We're from Baker Company" Sithis, who was in the driver's seat, said

"What's your control number?" the other ranger asked

"Bravo, Echo, Alpha, Romeo" Sithis answered

"Go ahead in" the ranger said as the fort's gate open.

A few minutes later, Sithis parks the truck by the hangar and the rest of the squad unloads.

"You know the plan" Sithis said as both squads move to their respective objectives

 **Barracks:**

Team 2 arrives at the barracks and finds it filled with NCR troops, from regulars to rangers.

"Shit. There's a lot of them out there…" Vyse whispered

"Stay calm and just walk casually to the building in the middle…" Sithis whispered as the squad slowly moves to the target building

As they drew closer to their destination, Sithis signals the others to stop, which they do.

"What's up?" Ellie whispered

"Damn" Sithis said "Looks like they got the building on lockdown"

"What do we do now?" Ellie asked

"Follow my lead"

The Pride then moves towards a rusty radio tower.

"Cover me" Sithis whispered as he places small improvised explosives by the tower's support beams

After a few minutes, Sithis finishes priming the explosives.

"Let's go" he said as he lights up a couple of firecrackers, which had a long fuse

The squad then stands near the target building and await the distraction.

A minute later, the sound of firecrackers echoed throughout the area. Suspicious, a few squads converged on the area to check. Another minute later, the small explosives detonate, causing the tower to fall to the ground, causing the rest of the squads to converge on the area.

With most of the troops distracted, Marina and Sithis quickly fire their silenced weapons at the two guards, hitting both of them in the head. The squad quickly moves to the two dead guards and drags their body inside, stuffing their lifeless bodies inside the lockers.

They then move to the admin building, all the while eliminating any guards that got in their way and later, stuffing their bodies inside the numerous lockers in the building.

They eventually reach the door into the commander's quarters.

"Ellie can you take a peek?" Arthur whispered as the mercenary does just that

Peeking through the keyhole, the mercenary notices a single individual siting on his chair.

"One target, most likely the commanding officer" she reported

"Take him out on my go" Sithis said as he begins to count to 3

By the time he counted to three, the bulky man kicks the door open and quickly fires his silenced Combat rifle at the NCR officer, hitting his head.

With the threat neutralized, the Pride begins to scour the room for any intel they could copy.

"Ellie hack the terminal, see what you can find" Arthur said "the rest of you, secure any intel you can get"

It took the mercenary 2 minutes to successfully hack the terminal. "Got it!"

She then begins to scan the files and copy them to her Pip-Boy but one file caught her eye. "Citadel Contingency plan…?"

She then opens the file and reads the contents:

* * *

From: General Alexander

To: General Oliver

General. By now you should be aware that the Rebels have taken Galaxy News Radio and are now threatening the Citadel. With supplies running low and your reinforcements not arriving on time, I say we only have a couple of weeks left. Whatever happens, the Citadel will fall into their hands so I've devised a plan to buy you some time. I've convinced Rivet City's council to start recruiting the refugees into the war effort. If the rebels find out about this, they'll most likely devote a few resources to stopping it, stalling their attack on the Citadel Once they attack, I'll put up a hard fight and surrender once it gets too intense. That should give you enough time to gather your forces by the East. I have actionable intel that their Eastern flank is lightly defended and that they still lack enough manpower to have a firm grip on all of their territories.

This is where we use our sheer numbers and equipment to our advantage. Feint an attack in the east. This should force them to divert troops there. Once they reinforce the Eastern Flank, send another battalion to the Western Flank, I suggest you start with Evergreen Mills. This should give the rebels enough chaos for our forces to crush them in a pincer maneuver. I hope you'll consider my plan if you want to control the situation we're in.

* * *

"Holy shit…" Ellie muttered "Guys! I think you should read this!"

"What?!" Arthur said as he reads the document "Fuck… I knew it was a bit weird for Alexander to surrender so quickly! And that incident at Rivet City!"

"He played us all…" Coby muttered "I guess he didn't crush the Legion with just brute strength…"

"We gotta get this to Elder Lyons at once!" Ellie said

"Agreed. Is everyone done with the sweeping?" Arthur asked

"Yes!" Everyone replied

"Good! Let's converge on the rendezvous!"

Sithis then picks up his radio. "Team 1, have you secured the fuel tanks?"

Only static could be heard from the radio.

"Team 1" Sithis said again "Do you copy? Have you secured the tanks?"

Once again, there was nothing but static.

"Shit couldn't get a hold of Team 1"

"Maybe a bad transmission" Vyse said "We did knock down a radio tower"

"Right…" Sithis said as the squad exits the building

But as the squad exits the building, they find themselves surrounded by NCR troops, all of them aiming their guns at the Pride.

"Shit…" Audrey said "I think I have an idea on what happened to Team 1…"

"Fuck" Sithis said

"Drop your weapons!" a NCR trooper, with a megaphone, said

"Do what he says" Arthur said as he lowers his rifle

"Damn it…" Vyse said as he and the rest drop their guns

As the Pride drops their weapons and raises their hands, a familiar figure emerges from the crowd. Sithis' eyes narrow as he sees a tall middle-aged man.

"Gerard…" he said with contempt

"Well. Well." The man said "If it isn't Sithis"

"So you're part of the NCR now?"

"Didn't you get the intel?" the man taunted "the Western Brotherhood and the NCR are now working together"

"What?!"

"Sithis. I knew of your little spy network. I found one of your boys and decided to 'convince' him to give you some false info"

"You son of a bitch!" Audrey shouted

"Is that…?" Gerard said as he recognizes the Knight "Audrey? My. My. You've grown up! You look just like your mother"

"Shut up, you bitch! You killed her!"

"She was just collateral, my dead. I assure you"

"Fuck you to hell!"

Gerard then turns to sithis.

"Ah Sithis…You don't know how long I waited for this moment" the man said as he grabs a 10mm pistol and aims it at Sithis

"You're gonna kill me just like you killed Nora?"

"Hell no. I'll make you suffer and squirm for a bit and I'll let the bleeding end you"

"Still a coward I see"

Gerard merely smirks as he hears those words come out of Sithis' mouth.

"Say hello to Nora and Morris for me"

"Rot in hell!"

Before the traitorous Knight could pull the trigger of his gun, a chain of explosions erupts behind him as squad of NCR troops ran from the ensuing blasts.

"NOW!" Arthur shouted as he and the others quickly draw their pistols and shoot down several NCR troops before picking their guns and running to cover.

"Nice timing on those explosions!" Vyse said as he continues to fire his rifle, gunning down another NCR trooper "But who pushed the button? Was it Team 1?"

"I don't know. I still can't get a hold of Team 1!" Sithis replied

"So" Polonsky asked "What's the escape plan?"

"There's too many of them!" Sithis answered "Worse comes to worse, we're gonna have to shoot our way out!"

As the Pride moves from cover to cover, they hear the familiar sound of a vertibird.

"Not good!" Audrey said as a vertibird opens fire on the squad "We got enemy vertibirds in the air!"

"Fuck!" Elysse shouted "Marina! Think you can snipe the pilot?"

"I'll try but I need cover fire!" the sniper replied as she readies herself

Marina then breaks cover and carefully aims her rifle at the pilot. However, she could not get a clear shot as bullets whistle past her.

"Can I get some cover fire, please?" she sarcastically said

"Left side!" Dallas said as she returns fire

"Dallas, Elysse. Concentrate fire on the left!" Arthur said "Vyse, Ellie. You're on the right! Audrey and James, cover the rear! Sithis, Polosnky. You're with me on the front!"

Minutes later, Marina has yet to take down the enemy pilot.

"Anytime now, Marina!" Vyse shouted as a bullet barely hits him "We can't move until that asshole's down!"

"You think I have it easy?!" the sniper replied "You try sniping a guy this far while bullets fly around you!"

"Enough chitchat!" Arthur said "Just do your jobs!"

"Roger!" Marina said as she carefully aims her rifle

It took her 5 minutes to find a clear shot.

"There we go!" she shouted as she pulls the trigger.

The bullet breaks through the vertibird's glass pane, hitting the pilot's head.

"Direct hit!" Marina said as the vertibird spins out of control and crashes.

"Nice!" Arthur said "Move out!"

The Pride then moves into a building as more NCR troops converge on their location

"FUCK!" Vyse shouted "There's no end to these bastards!"

To make matters worse, two more vertibirds draw closer to the Pride.

"Ah shit…" Vyse said as one of the vertibirds opens fire on the squad "We got two more vertibirds!"

As more NCR troops surround the building, the second vertibird opens fire on the enemy vertbird, damaging its engine which caused it to crash.

"What the hell?!" Polonsky said "the other vertibird's helping us?"

Sithis' radio then comes to life. "Team 2! Do you copy?"

"Team 1? Is that you on the vertibird?!"

"Yes sir! We managed to evade the enemy patrols and hijacked this vertibird! We'll drop a ladder and provide cover fire!"

"Copy that! That was out fucking standing Team 1!"

"What's going on?" Arthur asked

"Team 1's hijacked that vertibird!" Sithis said as he points on the vertibird that was opening fire on the NCR troops "They'll be dropping a ladder for us to board"

"Alright then!" Arthur said "Let's not waste any time! Pride! Let's move out!"

As the Pride moves to the ladder, Team 1 provides cover fire through the vertibird's turrets.

A few minute later, with most of the Pride hanging onto the ladder, Team 1 takes off and detonates the remaining explosives, leveling the base.

 **Scattered Bones HQ**

 **8:23pm:**

As the vertibird lands on open ground, Ellie wasted no time in running for the nearest radio.

"Den. Do you read me?" she said "The Pride has gathered actionable intel. It is urgent that we share this information."

However, there was no response

"Den? Do you read me? Come in, Den!"

A few minutes later, the radio comes to life. "This is the Den. Pride what is your status?"

"Elder! We found a holotape! The NCR is going to attack any moment and-"

"They already did" Lyons interrupted "They did a pincer maneuver on us. Our bases in the East and West are getting overrun!"

"FUCK!"

"Pride. I'm sorry but I have to ask you to abort your current mission and return to D.C."

"I understand ma'am"

"Steel be with you!"

"And also with you, Elder"

"So we're going back?" Vyse asked as Ellie turns the radio off

"Looks like it" Arthur answered

"So when do we leave?" Dallas asked

"For now, we rest. We had a long day. We leave first thing tomorrow"

"Roger!"

 **The Next day:**

Ellie awakens as the base shakes around her.

"What's going on?" she asked as Audrey comes running into the room

"We're under attack!" she shouted

"What?!"

Somehow the enemy found the rebel group's base but it was not being attacked by NCR troops. The attackers wore T-50 and X-01 Power Armor Suits and the emblem on their chest plate is from the Western Brotherhood.

Ellie quickly readies herself and runs to the frontlines

 **Base Entrance:**

"Looks like they found me!" Sithis shouted as he brings out his radio "How's the evac?"

"Sir! It's proceeding as planned! We're down to our last few men but the enemy is about to surround the base!"

"Use the vertibird!"

"But sir, how will you escape?"

"Shut up! I'll handle it! Just do as you're told!"

"Yes sir! Be careful sir!"

"You too, lieutenant"

"So we're gonna have to find our own way out…" Vyse said as he returns fire

"We just gotta live with it, Vyse" Arthur said as he throws a cryogrenade

"Yep… Reminds me of that time in Vault 112" Marina replied

"Yeah but this time, we have bastards in Power Armor breathing down our necks!" Ellie replied as she spots several X-01 Power Armor Suits "Those suits…"

"Ellie?" Dallas said as she noticed Ellie has stopped firing "Are you ok?"

"Those suits…" Ellie muttered as she begins to see visions once again "No… No… Not again…"

The mercenary begins to hyperventilate once more as the other members notice her dilemma.

"Ellie?" Vyse said as he lightly taps her "Ellie? Ellie?!"

The knight sergeant shakes the mercenary but fails to bring her back as Ellie continues to suffer from her episode.

Minutes later, the mercenary begins to lose consciousness. The last thing she remembers was the sight of X-01 Power Armor Suits slowly making their way to the squad…

 **Sometime later:**

Ellie wakes up in what appears to be a derelict shack. "Where am I?"

"In an abandoned shack" Vyse answered

"Vyse? What happened?"

"Another episode. You hyperventilated and passed out. I had to carry you out of the base"

"The base" Ellie said "What happened to the base?"

"Base is up in smokes but we managed to have everyone evacuate in time"

"That's good…"

"She seems stable" Dallas said "But they seem to be getting worse as they progress…"

"Did you see those images again?" Vyse asked

"Yes… I kept on seeing these visions almost as if they're memories but it can't be… I don't remember doing any of the things I saw in them…"

"If I may interrupt" Sithis said "I think I know someone who can help you"

"Who?" the mercenary asked as Sithis grabs a loose floor and lifts it, revealing a hidden passage on the floor.

"What the hell?" Vyse muttered

"Come with me" Sithis said as the other members of the Pride follow

Minutes later, the squad finds themselves in front of a vault door.

"Vault 116…" Arthur muttered as Sithis opens the Vault Door

 **Vault 116:**

Sithis leads the squad into a room filled with pods.

"What's up with this Vault?" Vyse asked as an elderly man emerges from a corridor "Who's that?"

"That man…" Ellie muttered "I feel like I've seen him before…"

"Good to see you doctor" Sithis said

"Sithis" the doctor replied in a German accent "What are you doing here?"

"Who's this?" Arthur asked

"This is Doctor Steiner" Sithis answered "He's a doctor who's been living here for a long time"

"Steiner…" Ellie muttered as she remembers hearing that name in one of her visions

"Doctor" Sithis said "My friend needs help with some memories"

"Memories, you say?" the doctor said "Who is this friend of yours?"

"Her" Sithis said as he points at Ellie

"You…!" the doctor said

"You know her?" Sithis asked

"Maybe, maybe not" the doctor answered "I will do the procedure to make sure"

"Make sure what?" Vyse asked

"Something about my past…"

"So what exactly is this vault?" James asked "There seems to be a purpose behind these pods"

"Ah yes" the doctor replied "Vault 116 was designed to see the long-term effects of repeated memory alterations on unwitting test subjects. However, based on the numerous logs and holotapes, some of the residents begin to see visions and suffer from dementia, causing them to lose their sanity which ultimately destroyed this vault."

"What happened to the residents? Why did they suffer those symptoms?" Dallas asked

"The visions and delusions the victims saw were fragments of memories that were altered or their 'true' memories…" the Doctor answered "

"So you believe that Ellie may be suffering from the same thing?" Dallas asked

"If my theory is correct, then yes. She may have some suppressed memories or even altered memories. This machine will let us know for sure"

"How will you proceed?"

"She will enter this pod" the doctor said as he opens one of the few functional pods "I will access her memories and attempt to 'unlock' them."

"How sure are you that the machine won't alter her memory? I mean, these pods were designed to alter memories" Vyse wondered

"Rest assured that I will do no such thing. You may stand near me and observe if you wish"

"Very well… We'll watch the procedure" Arthur said as he turns to Ellie "Are you ready?"

"I'm a bit nervous but I want to know who I am…" the mercenary answered as she enters the pod

"Good answer" Marina said

"Now then" the doctor said as he begins the procedure "Just relax and allow the machine to do its work"

 **10 minutes later:**

"It is done" the doctor said as he deactivate the machine and Ellie emerges from the pod

"How is it doctor?" Vyse asked

"I think you should ask her yourself…"

"What?"

Vyse then looks at Ellie who had a troubled look on her face

"Ellie? What's wrong?" Marina asked

"I…I…"

"Ellie" Arthur said "Calm down. Tell us. What did you find out?"

"I… I'm evil…"

"Evil?" Vyse said "What are you talking about?"

"I-I was a member of the Enclave…" the mercenary answered as her body begins to shake

"I think we should save our questions after she calms down" Dallas said

"G-Good idea…" Vyse said as he helps Ellie to the infirmary

 **Sometime later:**

Polonsky and Sithis meet Steiner in one of the rooms in the residential area.

"How much of her memories did you unlock?" Polonsky asked

"Just enough for her to move" the doctor answered

"So now she knows she used to be part of the Enclave…" Sithis said

"Are you sure it was a good idea?" Dallas asked as she enters the room "She may degrade faster if you unlocked too much"

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing"

"I know doctor" the Pride medic answered "But I feel like we're gambling too much here"

"Who dares wins" Sithis replied "Time is not on our side and we need to move fast if we want to secure that artifact before 'they' get to it"

"I know we need to hurry but if we rush, we also run the risk of losing. I'm not even sure if Marcus' gambit is worth it"

"No" Polonsky said "Marcus has never let us down. He knows what he's doing. Besides, we've stayed silent for too long. We need to take action soon"

"Fine" Dallas said "But I can't help but feel that a lot of your gambles are bad ideas"

"Well that's your opinion, Dallas" Polonsky said

"So what's next?" Dallas asked

"We'll go back to D.C. After all, we have an invasion to quell"

"How about Ellie?"

"This is when we'll start to see if our gambles have paid off"

"Fucking shit, Polonsky. I hope you guys are right cuz it'll be our end if your gambles fuck up…"


	27. Who Am I?

**The next day:**

The lounge room was filled with anxiety as Ellie, who had just woken up, enters the room.

"Did you sleep well?" Arthur asked

"Somehow…" the mercenary replied with a dejected voice

"Anyway, what's the connection between you and the Enclave?" James asked

"Paladin" Vyse said "Shouldn't we let her breathe a bit? This is a lot to take in"

"It's ok, Vyse" the mercenary said "I want to get this out of my chest"

"Alright" Arthur said as the mercenary hangs her head low "Now then, who are you Ellie?"

The mercenary sits down, takes a sip of coffee, prepared by Dallas, and begins to tell her true tale…

* * *

I was born in 2141 in the Poseidon Oil Rig, the main base of the Enclave at the time. Like many children in the Enclave, we were made to believe that the wasteland was rightfully ours and anybody who were unaffiliated with us were considered "impure". We were taught to look down on any wasteland inhabitants, be it a mutant or a regular human…

I believed in all that… I believed in the vision of the Enclave that America was truly ours and I must do everything I can to restore it, even if it means genocide…

By the time I was eighteen old, I became part of the Enclave's research staff. We researched mostly on weapons and armor… I was particularly interested in the FEV research.

The thought of creating an unstoppable army was like a romantic thought in my head but the limited samples we had made it hard for me to conduct a proper research.

Frustrated, I went against regulations and scoured the wasteland for more samples. That was when I encountered a certain Vault Dweller…

He saved me from a group of raiders. I was sure he was from a vault since he wore a jumpsuit, I remember the number written on its back…

13\. He was from Vault 13.

I was intrigued. A lone vault dweller taking on the harsh wasteland.

My interest led me to secretly follow this dweller. I witnessed him take down an entire Super Mutant army, something that was thought to be impossible.

Nevertheless, he did it and thanks to him, I managed to find more than enough samples of FEV to research on…

* * *

"The Mariposa Military Base…" Arthur muttered

"Yes…" Ellie confirmed "I'm the reason behind the Enclave's discovery of the base and the continued research on the FEV… Although, they didn't start searching until 2236"

"Wait a minute" Vyse said "Don't be offended but how were you able to keep yourself young for more than a hundred years?"

"It's not over Vyse"

"Oh I'm sorry"

* * *

5 years later, me and several other Enclave scientists travelled to the Commonwealth and linked up with our ally, the Institute.

For the next few years, we would conduct heavy research on a lot of things from weapons to equipment. I mostly focused my research on the FEV.

My dream, back then, was to create the most powerful army for the Enclave but I kept on encountering the same failure.

Every single one of my subjects mutated into super mutants or into those ghouls we saw at Underworld, they were strong and resilient but the virus destroyed most of their brains and mutated them into grotesque shadows of their former selves. In other words, they lost their "purity", their humanity.

I experimented on many unwilling participants. Many pleaded me to stop, some even screamed and cried but I didn't care…

I saw them as nothing more than test subjects for me to research on, even the children were not spared. I didn't acknowledge them as human or even as a living being…

* * *

"God damn…" Vyse said

"I made countless people suffer because of my experiments… I… I…"

"Ellie?" the knight sergeant said as he goes to her side "I think she should stop… Looks like the story telling's taking a toll on her"

"No" the mercenary said as she pulls herself together "I'm ok. I need to tell you all. Who I am"

* * *

By 2166, I made a breakthrough. I managed to create a strain of the virus that would give the infected individual the same power as a super mutant while retaining his/her humanity.

After testing the substance on several subjects, all of which died months or years later, I decided to inject the substance into myself.

Initially, the FEV blended quite well with my body. I gained super human strength, agility, endurance and perception. My wounds heal faster than a normal human and I can withstand a lot of scenarios that would normally kill a regular human being.

I also gained an ability called the "Eagle Vision", which allows me to identify hostile elements in my environment.

But after a few days, I began to deteriorate as the virus mutated and began to ravage my body.

An emergency surgery was conducted in order to save my life. It was a success but at the cost of most of my organs, including parts of my brain, being replaced by synthetic ones.

Despite their best efforts however, the damage to my brain was irreversible and I could no longer be part of the science team.

After the incident, I returned to California. Wanting to be useful to the Enclave, I joined the Enclave Armored Division. I trained day in and day out, sharpening my skills.

By 2200, my training was completed and I was ready to go to war for the Enclave.

Since high command was not yet ready to reveal themselves just yet, I was assigned to train the recruits. Among the recruits I trained was a young man named Frank Horrigan.

* * *

"Frank Horrigan…" Sithis said "I heard of that man. He was one of the most feared soldiers in the Enclave. But he died during the assault on the oil rig"

"Yes…" the mercenary answered "He was a dedicated soldier like I was and one of the best recruits I ever trained.

"Ain't that convenient" Coby said "You trained one of the Enclave's most infamous soldiers…"

"Yes… But all that training couldn't have prepared him, me or anyone from the Tribal…"

"Tribal?" Marina wondered

"Are you talking about the Village Chief from Arroyo?" Sithis asked

"Yes… I encountered and even fought her several times"

* * *

Because of the surgery, the virus harmonized with my body, giving me super human abilities while maintaining my youth.

By 2241, the Enclave revealed their presence into the wasteland and began a campaign of destruction against the wastelanders. I was a willing participant in all of them… I did so many atrocities under the Enclave's name…

I killed several wastelanders, including Enclave defectors, with no remorse and mercy. I didn't care if they were even children, if they were not part of the Enclave, they were mutations that needed to be eradicated on the face of the Earth…

* * *

"Damn…" Coby said "Sounds like you were pretty brutal…"

"Yes I was. That was not the full extent of my crimes. I participated in the massacre of Vault 13, killing the resident deathclaws there…"

"Deathclaws?" Vyse wondered

"Yes… Those deathclaws were the result of an experiment to create powerful weapons under our control, instead we created sentient deathclaws."

"Wow… That is news to me…"

"But the Enclave had no use for such emotions if the creatures had no will to harm any of our enemies, so the President had us kill every single one of the residents of Vault 13, be it human or deathclaw…"

"Damn…" Coby muttered

"That's not all… I also led an attack on the Village of Arroyo and kidnapped most of the residents for experimentation… If that Tribal didn't destroy the oil rig, who knows what would have happened to them…"

"Were you at the oil rig when it was attacked by the NCR?" Sithis asked

"Yes… I was one of its defenders… I was tasked of evacuating Dr. Steiner, a fellow colleague."

"Steiner?" Vyse said "By that do you mean…?"

"Yes it is me" the Doctor said as he enters the room

"Doctor" Arthur said "You were part of the Enclave too?"

"Yes… I was part of the FEV research team that Ellie was a member of. I was among the scientists who came to the Commonwealth to research on the FEV. After the death of Frank Horrigan, we managed to escape the oil rig before it self-destructed and retreated to the last Enclave base at Navarro."

"But wasn't Navarro assaulted by NCR troops later on?"

"Yes. During the attack I lost track of Ellie but I managed to escape, although not many were so lucky…"

"Doc" Vyse said "Did you also infect yourself with that FEV stuff?"

"No" the doctor answered "Although, at my behest, I had my body cybernetically enhanced by the Institute. Although my body continues to show signs of age, it is not a hindrance to me at all."

"Anyway" Sithis said "What happened at Navarro, Ellie?"

The mercenary stares at the roof of the room as familiar memories begin pouring in…

 **Flashback:**

 **December 5, 2242**

 **Enclave Base Navarro; Underground**

Alarm bells echo throughout the building as Enclave forces scramble to defend their last remaining base from the invading NCR forces.

"Go! Go! Go!" one of them shouted "This is our last sanctuary! Don't let it fall to those savages!"

Ellie quickly grabs her plasma rifle, puts on some combat armor and heads out into battle.

* * *

For many of us, Navarro was the last bastion of America's 'greatest' hope and many of us were ready to defend it with our lives…

* * *

"What's the status?" Ellie asked

"Lieutenant!" the Enclave soldier responded as he returns fire "NCR troops have breached the main gate! They've already breached most of the base, ma'am!"

Without saying another word, the mercenary charges towards the NCR troops. Despite being shot multiple times, she manages to breach the enemy line and decimate the NCR's ranks with her rifle.

With the NCR troops cleared, the Enclave soldiers gather around her.

"Are you alright ma'am?" One of the Soldiers asked as he notices Ellie's wounds quickly healing

"I'm fine. Consolidate and counter attack! We will not let this base fall!" she said as the Enclave soldiers let out a battle cry

* * *

I gathered every surviving Enclave soldier I could find and managed to make a counter offensive against the NCR troops, pushing most of them back to the gate. But that minor victory was not meant to last

* * *

 **Navarro Main Gate:**

"Ma'am!" one of the Enclave soldiers said over the radio "The Tribal! It's the Tribal!"

"The Tribal?" Ellie wondered as she looks at the horizon, seeing a woman wearing a Vault 13 jumpsuit along with Tribal accessories "It's her. Tower, can you snipe her?"

"Negative!" the soldier responded "I can't get a clear shot!"

While more NCR troops arrive and engage the Enclave defenders, Ellie approaches the tribal and fires a burst shot towards the tribal, who manages to dodge. The tribal woman then throws a spear at Ellie, who parries it with her rifle.

At the same time, the tribal brings out an R91 Assault Rifle and manages to lands a few hits on Ellie, who returns fire but runs out of ammo.

The two stare off for a few minutes before they charge towards each other…

* * *

The arrival of that Tribal turned the tide of the battle. She pushed us back into the base. I was critically injured after being shot and stabbed several times but I kept going for a couple more minutes before collapsing. I was left for dead. I woke up hours later and found the base in ruins…

That was when I heard a radio transmission coming from a certain Henry Eden rallying all surviving Enclave troops to D.C. With nowhere to go, I decided to head to the Capital Wasteland.

* * *

"So you were active during the Brotherhood's struggle against the Enclave in 2277?" Arthur asked

"Yes…" the mercenary answered "I was part of the team that captured the Lone Wanderer when he acquired the G.E.C.K"

"Wait" Vyse said "So you know what he looks like now"

"No" the mercenary responded "I didn't really get a good look on his face"

"…That's a shame…" Dallas said "Were you also there during his escape from Raven Rock?"

"Yes… I was one of the soldiers who hunted him"

"So did you find him?" Polonsky asked

"No..."

* * *

 _A few minutes after Colonel Autumn announced the Wanderer's escape, the base was suddenly set to self-destruct. I had the inclination that the Wanderer had a hand in it so I quickly made my way to Eden's chambers_

As Ellie ran through the Enclave's halls, she was suddenly attacked by 2 sentry bots.

"Huh?!" she said as she fires on the robots "Why are they attacking me?"

One bot quickly closes the distance between her and it. Acting fast, the mercenary plunges her fist into the bot's main body, pulling out the bot's power cables, disabling it. The other sentry bot then unloads its Laser Gatling on the mercenary, who promptly rolls to the left. She then brings out a frag grenade and pulls the pin. She dashes towards the sentry bot, who unloads more lasers on the mercenary. She was hit several times but it did not impede her as she shoves the grenade into the robot's main body. She pulls her arm out and jumps back before the grenade detonates, destroying the robot.

After dispatching the robots, she continued her pace towards Eden's Chambers but her path was then blocked by a hooded individual.

"You…!" she uttered as she fires her rifle but misses

The individual then brings out an MP5K and fires several shots at Ellie, who hides behind cover. As Ellie was about to break cover and return fire, another hooded individual suddenly lands on top of her.

She struggles to release herself from the individual as the hooded figure flicks his wrist and stabs her in the left shoulder.

As she continues to struggle, she sees two other hooded individuals gather around her as they cover her mouth with a handkerchief. Slowly, her vision waned and her body began to slow down… The last thing she heard was one of the individuals saying "We got her"

 _I was captured by a group of hooded men who brought me here to this very vault. They used the pods to alter my memories and released me into the wasteland…_

* * *

"That's all I can remember…"

"But why would these guys want to capture you, alter your memories and just release you?" Polonsky asked

"I don't know…"

"Doctor" Sithis said "Do you know anything about this?"

"Sadly no" the doctor answered "I had only discovered this Vault a few years ago. After the fall of Navarro, I settled in Texas before finally settling here in New Carolina.

"Ellie" Vyse said "You ok?"

"More or less… But now, I'm not sure what I'm fighting for anymore… I was an Enclave soldier… I'm your enemy…"

"No" Vyse responded

"Huh?"

"The war with the Enclave ended when their mobile fortress was destroyed 30 years ago. Whether or not you associate yourself with the Enclave is irrelevant. You have proven to all of us that you truly care about the wasteland. I told you before, your past doesn't define who you are"

"Vyse…"

"Even if you did all those things, I think you can still make amends if you truly want to"

The room fills with silence as everyone tries to digest the information that Ellie had given them.

The silence was broken when Sithis' radio started to make some noise.

"Excuse me" he said as he picks up his radio and leaves the room

After a short while, Sithis returns.

"What is it?" Arthur asked

"Good news" he responded "My boys found a new hideout near the City of Gleamist. They told me of a good target for a counter attack"

"What do you mean?" Elysse asked

"The NCR recently built an embassy there" the Scattered Bones commander replied "Striking that base would cripple the NCR's grip in this area and inspire the locals to rise up. How about you guys, what's your plan?"

"Well" Arthur responded "We need a vertibird to get back to D.C."

"Sadly, the vertibird my boys hijacked was damaged during the attack. It'll take a while for the repairs to be done"

"So does that mean we're gonna walk?" Marina asked

"No… Even if it's just a few days, we may be too late when we arrive" Arthur answered

"So what do we do?" Kodiak asked

"Sithis" Arthur said "Are there any vertibirds near Gleamist?"

"I'm not sure but there should be a landing zone for their birds near the city"

"Then we'll take that helipad then destroy that embassy"

"Right on! Let's head to Gleamist then!"

"Very well… Let's not waste anytime"

 **Scattered Bones Hideout, Outskirts of Gleamist**

 **2 hours later:**

Sithis and the other members of Lyons Pride gather in a round table, containing a crude map of the area.

"What do we have?" Sithis asked a Scattered Bones member

"Sir!" he replied "The NCR forces heavily guard the embassy's vicinity. Most of them are armed with state-of-the-art laser and ballistic weapons."

"Are there any vertibirds in the area?" Arthur asked

"We just received confirmation of 3 NCR vertibirds landing on a helipad just outside of the city"

"That's our answer" Sithis said "We take those vertibirds for ourselves and that embassy's as good as gone!"

"But won't the NCR forces be alerted if we take the vertibirds?" Coby asked

"Not for a few minutes" Sithis answered "Those few minutes would be our window to attack and those 3 vertibirds will provide us with the support we need"

"Hey Sithis" Arthur said "We need at least 1 vertibird to survive if me and my squad's gonna get outta here"

"Don't worry" Sithis replied with a confident smile "We'll take the embassy and you can go back to D.C. without any problems"

"I hope you're right"

 **NCR Vertibird Refueling Station, Outskirts of Gleamist:**

 **12:00pm**

The members of Lyons' Pride and Scattered Bones position themselves at the top of a hill, overlooking the station. Ellie brings out a pair of binoculars and begins to scan the base.

"I see 3 patrolling on the upper left. 2 on the upper right" she reported "3 smoking by the building to the left. And 2 refueling one of the vertibirds"

"Copy" Sithis said as he places a suppressor on his gun "Don't forget to place suppressors on your guns. We do this quiet and fast"

Following Sithis' lead, the other rebels place suppressors on their guns as Ellie, Vyse, Dallas, Sithis and Arthur jump down from the hill.

They make their way behind several crates, avoiding the suspicion of the 3 smoking NCR soldiers.

"Snipers can you take the shot?" Arthur asked over the radio

"This is Huntress 3. I'm ready" Marina replied

"This is Archer. I got him on my sights" a Scattered Bones soldier replied

"This is Huntress 1. I have a clear shot" Elysse replied

"All snipers" Arthur said "Prepare to fire on the 3 smoking targets on my command"

"I'll take the one on the left" Marina said

"The right one's mine then" Elysse answered

"The one by the bench is mine" the Scattered Bones soldier said

"Alright. All snipers prepare to fire" Arthur said as he carefully observes the 3 soldiers "Now"

A second later, the 3 snipers open fire, hitting their targets with deadly accuracy.

"Nice work" Arthur said "Move out"

With the 3 guards neutralized, the small team moves in on the patrolling soldiers.

"3 on the left" Polonsky whispered "2 on the right"

Arthur then signals Vyse and Coby to move into the bushes, near the 2 patrolling guards. "Snipers. Get ready to take out the 3 on the left on my command"

"Copy" Marina responded

After a short while Vyse whistles.

"Sniper team take em out" Arthur commanded as the 3 snipers fired their weapons with deadly accuracy.

The two guards notice the deaths of the other guards but before they could make a sound, Coby and Vyse jump out of the bushes and tackles both soldiers into the ground.

Wasting no time, the team moves into the last 2 soldiers who were busy tinkering with the vertibirds to see the threat. Arthur and Ellie quickly move in and point their weapons on the guard's heads.

"Make a sound and we blow your head off"

With that, the vertibird bay was secured. The rest of the rebels move in to occupy the newly acquired base.

"We're pressed for time" Sithis said "Those shitheads at Gleamist won't ignore an entire vertibird bay going dark for long!"

Lyons' Pride then begins to move into the city limits as the Scattered Bones rebels board the vertibirds, save for one.

 **Gleamist:**

 **Vicinity of Main Entrance:**

"Looks like the battle's already started…" Polonsky remarked as the sound of gunfire and explosions engulf the area.

"Then we better join the party!" Sithis replied

 **A few minutes later:**

The squad was pinned down in the commercial area, as NCR troops relentlessly hammer their position.

"Flyers!" Sithis said over the radio "Can you provide air cover?"

"Negative sir!" the rebel responded "The rooftops make it hard to get a clear shot!"

"Damn it!" Vyse shouted as he fires his rifle "What do we do now?!"

Ellie then breaks cover and pulls out a piece of metal from one of the buildings.

"Ellie?!" Marina uttered as the mercenary uses the piece of metal as a riot shield.

She quickly closes the distance between her and the NCR soldiers. Once she got close enough, she embeds the metal into the ground and breaks cover.

The soldiers open fire on her but the mercenary's perception of time slows. She easily dodged the enemy bullets.

"I-Impossible!" the NCR soldiers muttered fearfully as Ellie punches one of them in the face.

The mercenary then turns to another soldier. She grabs and twists his arms then kicks him in the stomach. As he gets to his knees, the mercenary punches the soldier's head.

Two soldiers then draw their pistols and attempt to aim it at the mercenary, who uses her hands to raise both soldiers' arms as they pull the trigger, causing them to miss. She then pulls both soldiers and slams their heads against each other.

 **Vicinity of the NCR Embassy:**

The rebels push through the city as waves of NCR troops attempt to stop them.

With the help of air support, the rebels manage to reach the vicinity of the embassy.

"The embassy's within reach!" Sithis shouted as he fires his gun at the enemy "Push forward Bones!"

The rebels then give out a battle cry as they slowly push the enemy back into the embassy.

However, as the NCR troops were pushed back into the courtyard, several soldiers, wearing T-60 and X-01 power armor, emerge from the barracks.

"POWER ARMOR!" A Scattered Bones rebel shouted as the enemy soldiers fire their miniguns on the rebels.

"Get down!" Sithis shouted in the radio "Flyers can you-"

But before Sithis could finish his sentence, the rebel vertibirds were shot down.

"Roebuck!" A rebel shouted as he breaks cover

"No!" Sithis shouted as the rebel is gunned down seconds later

After a short while, the bullets stopped flying.

"Rebels!" a NCR soldier said "Put down your weapons and surrender!"

"Shit" Vyse said "What do we do?"

Ellie takes a peek and sees a soldier, wearing T-60 power armor and armed with a flamethrower emerge from the embassy courtyard.

"Shit!" she shouted "Enemy flamethrower!"

"Looks like this is it" Arthur said as he cocks his rifle

Following his lead, the other rebels follow and cock their rifles, all ready to continue the fight.

He then emerges from cover and aims his rifle at the NCR soldiers.

"Brave fool" the NCR soldier said as he signals his men to aim their rifles

But before the two sides could fire a shot, a bullet hits the T-60 Power Armor's Flame Tanks, causing them to explode.

"What the hell?!" Vyse said

The city then echoes with the battle cries of an unknown party shouting "FREEDOM!"

Just then, armed individuals, including a few wearing Raider Power Armor, emerge from the alleys, the streets and the houses in the city.

"Looks like you guys need some help!"

"Jayce?!" Sithis said as he picks up his radio "Son of a bitch. You're fucking late man!"

"Sorry. Took us a while to get organized!"

With the situation turning in their favor, Sithis rises from his cover shouting "Charge!"

The rebels then move further into the embassy. However, Sithis stops the members of Lyons' Pride from moving further.

"What's going on?" Arthur asked

"You got a place to go right?" Sithis said as a vertibird arrives and deploys a ladder "We got this covered. You go"

Audrey steps forward. "Sithis what are you-"

"Audrey… It's nice to see you again. But we don't have time to waste. The NCR may overwhelm your forces in D.C."

"But…!"

"No buts! You have a duty to fulfill!"

"I understand" Arthur said "Pride! Let's move out!"

"Will you be ok?" Ellie asked

"I managed to stay alive for more than 20 years. You don't have to worry about an old man like me!"

"Sithis…" Audrey said "I-"

"Go Audrey. I'll be fine"

The Knight Sergeant was the last to climb the ladder. "I'll come back! Stay alive, Sithis!"

"I will!" the Scattered Bones leader said as he waves goodbye and returns to the battle that was still raging behind him.

As Gleamist was barely seen from the vertibird, Audrey couldn't help but feel worried as she stares at that dot on the horizon.

"He'll be fine" James said as he pats Audrey's shoulders

The Knight Sergeant smiled as she rests her hand over James'. "Yeah… He's too tough to kill"

 **Evergreen Mills**

 **A few hours later:**

Ellie wakes up to the sound of Vyse's voice. "Ellie! Wake up"

"Vyse?"

"We're here! And we're not done fighting yet!"

The mercenary then picks up her gun and gets ready for battle as the vertibird's doors open.

Explosions were occurring all around the base as the rebels struggle to repel the attacking NCR troops.

"The base is getting hit hard!" Arthur briefed "Our objective is to take those artillery platforms down!"

"Artillery platforms?" Ellie asked as the Sentinel points at the distance "Shit…"

"Coby! Kodiak!" Arthur commanded "Mow down as much of the enemy as you can!"

"Roger!" Kodiak responded as he and Coby man the vertibird's turrets and began to hammer the NCR troops below.

In response, the NCR troops began to fire on the vertibird, with some of the shots nearly hitting.

"There's a shitload of them!" Marina remarked as bullets hit the vertibird's hull.

"Tell me about it!" Coby remarked as he fires the turret and dodges bullets.

"Rocket Launcher!" Dallas shouted as the vertibird narrowly dodges a rocket.

"Fuck!" Vyse shouted "There's too many of em!"

"Ellie?!" Polonsky said as he notices Ellie jumping off the vertibird "Ellie!"

"The fuck is she doing?!" Vyse shouted

As she was nearing the ground, the mercenary flicked both her wrists and managed to plunge them both into two unsuspecting NCR troops. A crater forms around her landing site as the mercenary charges towards a NCR soldier. The soldier attempted to shoot her but the mercenary managed to dodge his bullets.

She then flicks her right wrist and stabs the soldier in stomach and slashes his throat.

The mercenary was then shot in the stomach. Instinctively, she hold the wound with her right hand as she gets to her knees. Lifting her right hand, she notices her wound was healing at an astounding pace…

"So…" she thought "… I am not human…"

She then stands up and attacks the NCR soldier who shot her. She stabs him in the knee and punches his face, knocking him out.

Not wasting any more time, she made her way to the artillery platforms.

The NCR soldiers attempted to stop her by hammering her with everything they got from rifles to pistols to explosives but this did not stop the mercenary.

She reaches the first trooper and slashes his throat. She then grabs his lifeless body and uses it as a shield to reach the 2nd trooper. She made several quick jabs onto the soldier's stomach area before finally slitting his throat.

"Harrington!" the 3rd trooper shouted as he and the last 2 troopers furiously open fire on Ellie, who dodges the bullets by cartwheeling backwards.

Once she reached the back of the artillery, the mercenary rushes to the right as she flanks the troopers on their left.

With lightning fast speeds, she manages to reach the two parallel troopers and stabs both of their faces with her hidden blades.

She then turns to the last trooper, who fires his last bullet at her, hitting her chest.

She and the trooper stare at the wound as it quickly heals.

"Wh-Wh-What are you…?" the soldier said with fear

"…Honestly…" she melancholically uttered "I don't even know myself…"

She then flicks her right wrist and stabs the trooper's leg she then delivers a roundhouse kick to the trooper's face, knocking him out.

With more NCR troopers converging on her position, she quickly grabs the trooper's grenades. She jumps on each of the artillery cannons and places a live grenade on each.

Seconds later, all 3 artillery platforms go up in smoke.

With the artillery platforms down, the NCR soldiers had lost the initiative and the rebels began a counter offensive that drove the NCR troops from Evergreen Mills.

 **The Citadel; Lyons' Pride room**

 **An hour later:**

The members sit down in the lounge as they rest after the day's battles…

"Damn Ellie" Vyse said "Diving head first into danger again…"

"Well…" the mercenary responded "Ahahahahaha…"

"Reckless as ever…" Polonsky remarked

"Yeah but at least, we managed to repel the NCR troops"

"Right… Just be careful next time"

"I will, Polonsky"

"Yep… Heard that one before…"

"Hey! Don't make me sound like a liar!"

"Yep… Heard that one too…"

The room then fills with laughter…

 **Later that night:**

Ellie is standing at the Citadel's courtyard as she stares into the stars…

"Can't sleep…" she muttered "Do I even need sleep? Or even food? Or anything that humans need?"

"My. My" a sinister voice said

The mercenary then turns around to see the young man again. "You…!"

"So do you remember me, Ellie?"

The mercenary didn't answer she simply gave him an angry look

"Why are you angry? I should be the one who's angry. Do you still remember me?"

"I know who you are…"

"Then who am I?"

The mercenary then begins to see visions and images but quickly composes herself.

"Gerard…" she uttered with contempt

The young man smiles as he hears the name. "Gerard, you say?"

"You were a prominent Enclave scientist. Like me, you were also cybernetically enhanced. What do you want with me?"

"What I want is simply for you to return to us"

"Return?"

"So that you can make us whole again… That is your purpose…"

"Make you whole…?"

"Don't you remember the pact we made 100 years ago?"

"100 years ago…?" Ellie muttered as she tries to remember anything but fails "What are you talking about?"

"Disappointing…" the man said as he frowns "You still don't remember… Oh well… So what will you do now?"

"I will stop you"

"Stop me? You do know you're going against everything that you ever believed in. I'm still trying to rebuild the Enclave, through the NCR. The very same Enclave that you loved all those years ago"

"I'm not the same person I was. That person died after Raven Rock"

"Pity… But you do know that it's only a matter of time before the Brotherhood finds out and turns against you…"

"What?"

"Did you forget that the Brotherhood also hunts down Enclave Remnants? The second they know the truth, they'll lock you up like any other Enclave member or worse, use you until they regain control of this land and then lock you up or maybe they'll put a bullet on your fucking back"

"Shut up! You're lying!"

"Am I? Are you sure your little friends there at Lyons' Pride will help you? You think Arthur Maxson or Vyse will save you?"

The mercenary did not respond she simply stared at the man with angry eyes.

"I'm only speaking the truth" he said "Besides, do you truly believe that a divided wasteland such as this will revive the United States? No. We need a single unifying body. A body that will govern what is right and wrong and guide the people into a bright future!"

"Fuck you! The future the Enclave envisioned is a LIE!"

"Is it, Ellie? Do you truly believe that?"

"I-"

"Can you truly tell me, right now, that you believe that the Enclave is a threat to the wasteland? That the Enclave, despite all their efforts, is the true evil? Because if that is the case, then you, my friend, are as guilty as the rest of us"

The mercenary then hangs her head low

"You've done your own share of pain, suffering and murder. Don't you go all high and mighty on me"

"Get out of my head…"

"It doesn't work that way, Ellie. I'll always be right here, reminding you of your TRUE purpose!"

"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!" Ellie shouted as she draws her pistol and begins to furiously shoot the young man who shouts "MAKE US WHOLE, ELEANOR!"

"What's going on?!" a Brotherhood soldier said as he sees Ellie shooting a Training Dummy "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah…" the mercenary responded "I-I'm fine…"

After doing some target practice, the mercenary returns to the Lyons' Pride room.

 **The next day:**

As Vyse wakes up, he sees Marina standing near his bed.

"Marina?" he uttered in a sleepy voice

"You're awake?" she asked

"Yeah… What's going on?"

Marina didn't utter a word. She walked closer to Vyse and handed him a letter.

"What's this?" he asked

"Read it"

Vyse then reads the letter and his face quickly turns pale. "Ellie?! Where did she go?!"

"She left…" Marina said "Took off early in the morning…"

"What do you mean? Why?"

"I don't know… The letter says that she had a couple of loose ends to deal with"

"The fuck does that mean?!"

"I don't know…"

 **Elsewhere in the Citadel:**

In a hidden room, Dallas and Polonsky are using a ham radio.

"Sithis" Dallas said "Are you with Dr. Steiner?"

"Yes I am" the Scattered Bones leader responded "What's going on?"

"Ellie left the Citadel" Polonsky reported "Doctor. Do you think she's still suffering from dementia?"

"Yes I believe so" the doctor replied "While I was restoring her memories, I found a certain anomaly in one part of her synthetic brain. I tried to remove it but doing so would activate a hidden command and cause her to go on a psychotic rampage"

"What's the anomaly?" Dallas asked

"It seemed to be some sort of communicator or hallucinogen. If given the right frequency, someone could broadcast a message to Ellie in the form of an illusion"

"But who's sending the signal?" Polonsky asked

"I think it's Gerard" Sithis answered "Bastard just doesn't know when to quit"

"Damn it!" Polonsky said "This is bad… He was one step ahead of us!"

"So looks like our gamble's looking pretty grim here…" Dallas remarked

"Not yet…" another voice in the radio said

"Marcus?" Dallas wondered

"Marcus" Polonsky said "Ellie, she-"

"I know" Marcus responded "Sithis briefed me of what happened in New Carolina. We can still fix this. I'll track her down and inform you of her location. It is up to you to guide her back"

"Marcus" Dallas said "I'm not sure if Ellie's even worth it! She's degrading at a faster rate than we thought!"

"Then we better move faster, Dallas" the Lone Wanderer responded "Ellie is our last hope and if she fails, this could spell disaster for us, the wasteland and our organization"

"Alright…" Dallas responded

"Ok then. I'll start tracking her down. Polonsky. Dallas. Be ready to move out on my order"

"We copy" Polonsky answered as he turns the ham radio off.

"I still think betting everything on Ellie is a bad idea…" Dallas uttered

"We don't have much of a choice" Polonsky replied "But I've known her for years now and I believe she'll pull through for us"


	28. Loose Ends

**?:**

Gerard walks through a metallic hallway. He stops at the end as he sees a hooded man approach him.

"You were right" he said "Ellie's still alive"

"Of course I'm right" the hooded man said "My information network is second to none"

"What do you plan on doing to Ellie, anyway? I don't think driving her mad is your only purpose"

"Why of course! She'll be our guide to acquiring the key!"

"Guide?"

"Ellie's memories are vital and your latest 'conversation' with her was a great push"

"Where is she anyway?"

"Why she's where you'll expect her to be"

Gerard then squints his eyes as he says "The Commonwealth…"

The hooded man gives a sinister smile before walking away

Gerard looks back as the hooded man disappears into the deeper parts of the facility

"Don't think you control all the strings" Gerard muttered "I'm not just gonna let you have your way"

 **3 weeks later:**

 **CIT Ruins, the Commonwealth:**

Ellie stands over a flooded crater. She scours the area, hoping to find something useful.

"Looks like they also bit the dust…" she muttered as she searched the area "I guess they deserve it…"

After a few minutes, the mercenary gives up on her search and decides to head elsewhere…

"I hope the other labs are still intact…" she muttered as she turns her radio on

She listens to the broadcast of Radio Freedom. As she listens to the countless announcements and songs, an idea came to her head. "The Minutemen… I wonder, should I ask for their help?"

 **The Castle:**

Ellie arrives at the castle's gates. She could feel the tension as several laser and missile turrets take aim at her.

"Can I help you?" a Minuteman asked

"I could use some help" the mercenary replied

"What kind of help?"

"Well I was hoping I could talk to your leader?"

"The General? He's out at the moment. Come back later"

"Oh ok…"

Disappointed, the mercenary goes to the nearest town she could find, Quincy.

 **Quincy:**

Ellie arrives at the bustling town. The town was packed with people as they go about their day-to-day lives.

"This was in ruins a few years ago…" she muttered "The Minutemen sure don't miss a beat. Clearing an entire place like this with just a small squad"

The mercenary then enters a bar. Sitting down at the back end of the establishment, Ellie orders a bottle of whiskey.

"Cheers…" she melancholically muttered as she takes a swig

As the mercenary continues to "enjoy" her drink, a tall dark colored man approaches her.

"What do you want?" the mercenary asked

"I saw you at the Castle" the man answered

"So?"

"So I know where the general is"

"What now?"

"I said I know where the Minutemen General went"

"You do?"

"Yes. I'll lead you to him"

Ellie's eyes squint as she says "Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm Preston Garvey"

"Why should I trust you?"

"Do you want my help or not? You are free to refuse"

"Fine. I'll go with you"

"Good"

 **HalluciGen Inc. Building**

 **An hour later:**

"He's in here?" the mercenary wondered as they both enter the main hall

"Yes" Preston answered "Follow me"

Ellie and Presto then navigate through the intricate maze of the facility.

"Seems awfully empty…" Ellie remarked "Not even a radroach in sight…"

They eventually reach the control room.

"Wait a minute" the mercenary said as she look through the room's window "This looks like a test chamber"

"That's right" Preston answered "This facility was used to test psychoactive drugs on unsuspecting people…"

"What?"

"Yes… Many fell victim to this facility even after it was abandoned more than 200 years ago"

"Fuck that" Ellie muttered as she shoots the control panels "So where's the general anyway?"

"In here" Preston answered as he draws a cross on a wall, revealing a hidden door

"Hidden room… Why am I not surprised"

 **Hidden Lab:**

As Ellie and Preston enter the lab area itself, the mercenary couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia in about the area.

"Wait…" she thought "I've been here before…"

She then searches the area and finds a terminal. Surprisingly, she enters the correct password on the terminal revealing its contents to her. She then comes across a video file and clicks it out of pure curiosity.

* * *

The video opens with Ellie, wearing a lab coat, fixing the camera.

"Specimen C-E-1-1" she said with a formal tone "Date: November 28, 2165. I'm administering FEV Sample B-S-5 on a live human female test subject"

"NO!" a woman, strapped to a table, shouted as she struggles to escape "No! Please! Don't!"

Ellie, while holding a syringe, slowly walks to the woman, who struggles faster. Ellie then injects the woman on the forehead.

Seconds later, the woman started to convulse and violently snarl as she eventually breaks free from her restraints. She then collapses to the floor and two appendages sprout out of her back and the "woman", now a ghoul, stands up and slowly made her way towards Ellie.

"Another failure…" Ellie muttered as she fires several shots from her .45 pistol on the 'ghoul's' head, killing it "Oh well… Back to the drawing board…"

* * *

"No…" the mercenary muttered as she gets a migraine and is haunted by visions of her experimentations "Who are you, Preston?"

Preston then smiles as he brings out a syringe gun. "I'm here to free you, Eleanor"

"What?!"

Preston then fires his gun but the mercenary manages to dodge the incoming syringe.

After dodging several syringes, the mercenary manages to close the distance with Preston and struggles to wrest control of the gun.

"Who the fuck are you?!" she shouted as she grabs Preston's left fist

Preston simply smiles as he breaks free of the deadlock and fires another syringe, which Ellie narrowly dodges by doing a split.

Acting fast, the mercenary sweeps the man's legs, causing him to fall over and drop his gun.

However, Preston brings out a syringe and tackles the mercenary to the floor.

Ellie grabs Preston's hands with hers as she struggles to prevent the syringe from stabbing her neck. She then notices a distinct purple color inside the syringe

"The fuck is in that thing?!" Ellie uttered

"One mind, one body, Ellie" Preston uttered

Despite using all her strength, Ellie fails to prevent the purple liquid from being injected into her.

She quickly loses all her strength and energy as she struggles to even stand up. Preston then accesses another terminal and moves the monitor for the mercenary to see.

She then sees herself in another video clip

"If you're seeing this" she said "Then that means you, or rather I, were weak and have been compromised. Or you could have forgotten the noble purpose you sought to achieve"

She then brings out a vial. "In this vial is a serum to remind you of who you are and what you should do. This is disappointing. I never thought that I'd ever be defeated by mere savages… Oh well, there is always room for error and errors must be corrected"

The video clip ends there as Preston walks slowly towards Ellie.

"You son of a bitch!" Ellie said "You don't know what you've done!"

"I know exactly what I did" Preston replied "Welcome home, Eleanor"

Ellie then begins to see visions & delusions as voices begin to bombard her eardrums.

"No…!" she muttered "Stop it! NO!"

As Preston steps back to see the sight of Ellie struggling to maintain herself, several bullets punch through him. He then turns around and a hooded man emerges from the door. Preston attempted to fight back but the hooded man fires a .44 magnum in his head, blowing it apart.

As metallic parts scatter around the room, the hooded man approaches Ellie, who was slowly losing consciousness.

The last thing she hears was the hooded man saying "Shit! I'm too late!"

As she drifts from dream to dream, one particular dream had a unique impact on her.

* * *

Ellie sits down in an oval table, with 8 other men. Although she was close to the men, she could hardly make sense of their faces, save for Gerard who was sitting down in the corner.

"Ellie" one of the men said "You have exercised great promise and have proven your dedication to our doctrine. I guess it is time"

The mercenary then notices that the dream skips to her standing up and a circle forms around her.

However, the dream ends as she get close to the man in the center of the circle.

 **Sometime later:**

Ellie wakes up and finds that she is lying on a bed. She could hear the distinct sound of a coast just outside the window on her right.

"Where am I…?" she thought

A young man then approaches her. "You're awake"

"Where… am I? What happened…?"

"You're in the Castle, the Minutemen's headquarters. You were carried here by General Nate"

"General? That's right! I need to meet your general"

As she stand up, Ellie suddenly feels a headache.

"Easy. Easy" the young doctor said "You're still a bit weak. You need some rest"

"I-I'm fine… I-I need to see the general…"

"You're in no condition to do anything"

"Shut up!"

The mercenary then stands up and slowly walks to the courtyard with the doctor close by attempting to convince her to go back to bed but to no avail.

As she stumbles upon the courtyard, a familiar face approaches her. "Hey! You don't look so good, you should rest"

As her vision clears, Ellie sees it was Preston who greeted her. As if acquiring all of her lost energy, Ellie punches the man in the face and proceeds to stab him with her hidden blade but was suddenly subdued by a tall middle-aged man.

"Let go of me!" she shouted "This bitch injected some weird shit on me!"

"What are you talking about?!" Preston responded

"Shut up! You attacked me and injected me with some weird purple liquid!"

"He didn't do it!" the man, who subdued her, said

"What do you mean?!" Ellie responded

"It was a synth! A synth posing as him attacked you!"

 **Briefing Room**

 **A few minutes later:**

"I'm sorry" Ellie said to Preston

"It's ok. Anyway, I'm Preston Garvey nice to meet you and this man here is General Nate"

"I'm Ellie. Nice to meet you. But I thought the Institute was destroyed why are there still synths out and about?"

"Despite the destruction of The Institute, a few synths are still active and causing trouble"

"We have to do something about them…" the Minutemen General said

"Well… We can always ask help from the RailRoad"

"They're already mobilized. I can't just go around and killing synths…"

"I know…"

"Anyway, you said you wanted to see me?"

"Ah yes" Ellie said "I need help"

Preston then buts in saying "Another settlement needs-"

"Shut up, Garvey" the Minuteman General interrupted

"Anyway" Ellie continued "I need your help in helping me dig something out"

"Dig something out?"

"Sir!" a Minutemen Soldier said as he enters the room "He's here to see you"

"Oh him" Nate said "Send him in"

"Him?" Ellie wondered as a hooded man enters the room

Recognizing the man, Ellie draws her pistol and aims it, point blank, at his head.

"Been a while" the hooded man said

"Never expected to see you here, asshole" Ellie responded

"Nice to see you too…"

"You know him?" Nate asked

"Know him?!" Ellie responded "He practically held me at gunpoint and allowed one of my enemies to escape!"

"Still holding a grudge eh" the man uttered

"Shut up!"

"Look. I am not your enemy. There's a reason why I had to do that. You gotta understand"

"Really now? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't splatter your brain right now"

"Because the serum that synth injected into you will slowly drive you mad"

"So?"

"I know of a way to cure you"

"Bullshit!"

"Don't believe me?"

"You think I will after what you did back in the Purifier?"

"Fine then. Nate tell her"

"Huh?"

"Right" Nate said as he points to the CIT Ruins in the map "We managed to dig up an old teleporter in the area. Despite the destruction of The Institute, it was intact but we couldn't activate the device"

"Where is this teleporter?"

"In the eastern side of the building. It was buried under a lot of rubble"

"That teleporter" the hooded man said "Leads to a hidden lab that YOU used to work at"

"I don't remember ever working on any labs there!"

"Are you sure? I thought you had your memories restored?"

"What?! How did you know that?!"

"I have my sources…"

"Like hell you do!"

"You gotta believe me. But if you don't you're free to pull that trigger"

Ellie then puts away her gun as she grunts. "Alright. I'll play along. We'll go to the CIT Ruins and I'll see this teleporter for myself"

The hooded man then does a slow clap. "Very good"

"But if that teleporter doesn't exist, I'm gonna enjoy grinding your smug little face into the ground"

"By all means"

 **CIT Ruins**

 **An hour later:**

Ellie, Nate, and the hooded man arrive at the crater as they begin to scour the eastern side of the old building.

Eventually, they reach the teleporter but the mercenary is suddenly struck with another headache.

"You ok?" Nate asked

"Y-Yeah… Just a minor headache" the mercenary said as she composes herself

Wasting no time, the mercenary approaches the teleporter and opens a panel at the back of the device. After some rewiring, the mercenary activates the teleporter.

 **Ellie's Lab:**

As they emerge from the teleporter, Ellie couldn't help but feel nostalgic as she recognizes the place as one of the labs she used to work at…

However, as she enters the lab proper, her headache returns and the surrounding area suddenly changes.

"Please…!" a male voice shouted as Ellie notices a man strapped to one of the tables

Ellie then looks to her left as she hears someone banging on the windows. She spots a young woman, whose face is dripping with blood.

"Ellie!"

The mercenary then comes to her senses as she sees the hooded man shaking her.

"Looks like the serum's really taking its toll on you"

"Y-Yeah… I need a terminal"

"There's a terminal over there"

Wasting no time, the mercenary approaches the terminal, although it was locked with a password. Ellie thought for a minute before guessing. "A-se-lia"

The terminal accepted the password and the mercenary sees two files.

"The mind reader…?" the mercenary muttered as she opens the file "Eleanor Neumann personal journal. March 15, 2165. After another failed experiment, one of my colleagues told me of a special artifact hidden somewhere in the wasteland. It mostly sounds like random mythical nonsense but I have to admit that it was an interesting legend. I mean, an artifact that can read minds. Now that is something we can definitely use. Nevertheless, it is just a legend and most legends are just exaggerated stories told from the past"

The mercenary ponders to herself for a moment but could not remember writing the journal entry.

"Can't waste any more time!" she thought as she opens the other file, which contains information about the mysterious serum and a cure for it.

After downloading the ingredients and procedure to make the cure, Ellie hastily begins to mix the chemicals in her former lab.

"Good thing all of the ingredients I needed are still intact…" she thought

 **30 minutes later:**

The mercenary finishes her serum but as she was about to inject it on herself, she is suddenly attacked by a headache, much more painful than the others.

"Ellie!" the hooded man said as he approached the mercenary

Surprisingly, the mercenary lunges at the man. The hooded man dodges to the left as Ellie draws her pistol and begins to open fire on the man.

"Ellie!" he shouted "What the hell are you doing?!"

But his words land on deaf ears as Ellie continues to attack the hooded man and Nate.

After spending an entire magazine on them, the hooded man quickly rushes to Ellie before she is able to reload. He quickly flicked his wrists and attempted to stab the mercenary's shoulder with his hidden blade but the mercenary quickly parried them with her own.

An intense close quarter battle ensues as both fighters attempt to land a hit using their hidden blades.

Nate then attempts to intervene but the mercenary quickly sets her sights on him as Nate blocks her attacks with his rifle.

Seeing an opportunity, the hooded man lunges at the mercenary however, Ellie parries his strike and grabs him by the throat. The hooded man quickly uses the hidden gun mechanism of his hidden blades to shoot Ellie in the shoulder, who promptly lets go.

He attempts to stab her once more but the mercenary quickly recovers and manages to slash his mask, forcing the hooded man to take it off. Ellie then tackles him to the ground.

Before she could deliver the killing blow, Nate manages to grab the mercenary and inject her with the serum.

A few minutes later, the mercenary recovers and upon looking at the hooded man's face, she quickly recognized him. "Polonsky?!"

"Hey Ellie…" the young man said

"Hey Ellie?! What the fuck is going on here?!"

"It's better that you know nothing"

"Know nothing?! I want answers, Polonsky!"

"No can do, Ellie"

Angry, the mercenary storms off without another word.

 **An hour later:**

As Ellie wandered the wasteland, she notices a young woman being attacked by some raiders.

She quickly comes to the woman's rescue as she kills the raiders with relative ease using her hidden blades.

After taking care of the raiders, the mercenary approaches the young woman she just saved.

"Thank you for rescuing me" she said "Excuse me but I need your help"

"My help?"

"Yes. You see those raiders that attacked me were part of a bigger band of raiders and they recently attacked my research laboratory and my friend is still trapped inside"

"Where is this lab?"

"The Glowing Sea. Will you help me?"

The mercenary ponders to herself before saying "Alright"

"Thank you! My name is Curie, by the way.

"Ellie"

"Do you have something to stop the radiation by any chance?"

"I don't need to"

"What do you mean?"

"Let's just say I have more tolerance to radiation than any other human. So let's go"

"Ok then"

 **Edge of the Glowing Sea:**

Before nearing the highly irradiated area, Curie hands over some Rad-X and Radaway to the mercenary.

"I told you I can take the rads"

"Pays to be prepared"

"How about you? You're human. Don't you need these too?"

"I am not exactly human. I am a synth"

"A synth huh… ok then…"

As they enter the irradiated area, Ellie's Geiger counter begins to ping at 100 rads per second.

"Can't even feel a thing…" she thought "Yep… I'm a monster but why did I feel the adverse effects of radiation back then…?"

"Are you a synth as well?"

"No… But I'm also not human…"

"Your tone makes it seem that you are not happy with your current biology. A friend of mine once taught me that your biology does not define who you are. It is your actions that determine them"

Ellie gives a pained smile. "So what were you doing here anyway?"

"I have been researching radiation for a few years now. You see I was a medical robot before I was transferred to this body. I want to find a way to reduce radiation faster than Rad-X or Radaway as well as finding a cure for the ghouls, either to reverse their mutation or to prevent them from becoming feral and maybe even cure those who have"

"Such a noble goal…" Ellie muttered "While all I did was cause pain and suffering for my selfish reasons…"

 **Curie's Lab:**

As they neared the lab, Ellie recognized it as another Institute Lab but she kept it to herself as she scours the area.

"Ghoul raiders…" she muttered "That's a first. Two at the entrance"

Ellie then turns to Curie. "Why would ghouls attack your lab?"

"They heard of my research and demanded I hand over the cure but I told them that I have yet to make a breakthrough. Based on their symptoms, they are showing signs of a feral ghoul. They are slowly losing their sense of reasoning…"

"Can I kill them then?"

"As much as possible, try to incapacitate them"

"Understood"

Ellie then circle around the area and walks towards the south side of the building. She then climbs the derelict structure and emerges at the top.

She quickly jumps down and lands on one of the ghouls. With a quick karate chop to his neck, the ghoul was knocked out. The other ghoul then raises his rifle but the mercenary pushes the muzzle upwards, causing him to miss. She then grabs the ghouls arm and squeezes it tight, prompting him to let go of his weapon. She then punches the ghoul in the stomach and finishes him off with an uppercut.

Wasting no time, the ghoul enters the elevator and descends to the floor below.

 **Curie's Lab; Underground:**

Emerging from the elevator, the mercenary quickly makes her way through the facility, neutralizing guards with non-lethal force, checking room to room for Curie's friend.

She then stumbles upon a room with a window. She takes a peek and sees a super mutant held prisoner behind a force field.

"Now then" a ghoul said as he approaches the force field "You WILL give the cure!"

"I told you" the super mutant replied "We don't have it yet. You can't just-"

"Shut up! Th-There's a cure here! I-I know it!"

"A super mutant…?" Ellie muttered "Looks like Fawkes and his crew aren't the only docile super mutants…"

Ellie quickly breaks through the door and grabs the ghoul's arm. She squeezes it tight, prompting the ghoul to drop his gun. She quickly does a combo of punches and kicks on the ghoul, knocking him out.

With the threats neutralized, Ellie deactivates the force field, freeing the super mutant

 **Sometime later:**

Ellie looks through the room, where all the ghoul raiders were imprisoned.

As she look at the room, she couldn't help but remember the countless horrific experiments she did in the past…

"Thank you"

Ellie then looks behind her to see Curie and her friend

"Thank you again for rescuing my friend" Curie said

"You didn't tell me your friend was a super mutant" Ellie remarked

"I know what you're going to say" the super mutant said

"Don't worry" Ellie replied "I don't have anything against your kind. In fact, I encountered a pretty friendly group of super mutants"

"Really now?"

"Yes. So can I get your name?"

"My name? It's Virgil"

"Virgil huh… So what's up with this lab anyway?"

"Well…" Curie answered "A few years ago, I, Virgil and a good friend of mine found this laboratory. We found several notes and research data that showed that this facility bore witness to several horrific experiments done by The Institute"

"Yes…" Virgil said "The Institute did so much atrocities towards the people of the wasteland… I was one of them once…"

"You were…?" Ellie wondered

"Yes… I couldn't stand it anymore so one day I left… But I still considered The Institute as my home"

"But The Institute was destroyed…"

"Yes… For a time, I took it against the Minutemen and their General"

"Wait, Nate destroyed The Institute?"

"Oh you know him!" Curie remarked

"Yeah… met him some time ago… Virgil, you said "for a time" what do you mean?"

"I hated the Minutemen, especially Nate, for a time because they destroyed my only home… But after sometime I realized that the destruction of The Institute was necessary to make the Commonwealth a better place…"

"Oh… But why did you continue the research of such a group?"

"Although the experiments were morally questionable…" Curie answered "Some good can still be used from their research. Using them as a platform, I hope to create a permanent cure for radiation poisoning and even a cure for radiation mutations and FEV infected individuals, including super mutants. The notes of one notable scientist was quite helpful in my research"

"One scientist?"

"Yes. I believe her name was Eleanor Neumann"

Ellie's eyes widen as she tries to keep her composure. "But their research was grounded behind dark goals. They experimented on people, tortured them… Who knows how many died painfully in these labs"

"That is true. But things like research, data, and even weapons are not inherently evil. It is the one who wields them that defines their purpose. Drugs such as stimpaks are also products of countless human experimentations, some of which were failures and resulted in the painful death of the human… I plan not to waste the lives that were lost here and give them meaning by finding new ways to cure diseases and conditions and Ms. Neumann's research is most helpful in my research for drugs that help mend wounds"

Ellie feels a sense of pride as she hears Curie's explanation. "Well I gotta go. Good luck with your research!"

Curie then waves goodbye. "Thank you once again, Ms. Ellie for helping us!"

 **Somewhere in Downtown Boston:**

Ellie stands on top of a skyscraper as she stares at the ruined city below…

She the notices Gerard on her right. "You again… Been popping up a lot recently…"

"Used to my presence already?"

"Taunting me for 3 weeks straight… Who wouldn't get used to that…"

"Going numb are we"

"You sent that synth to inject that serum didn't you?"

Gerard's eyes squint. "No…"

"A lying bastard as always"

"I am who I am. So then Eleanor, what's your decision?"

"I know who I am and what I should do now…"

"Really? Do tell"

Ellie then turns to her right and stares at Gerard's smug face. "My name is Eleanor Neumann. A proud scientist and soldier of the Enclave"

Gerard gives a sinister smiles as he hears Ellie say those words.

"But!" Ellie added "I'm also Ellie, a proud knight of the Brotherhood of Steel! The Enclave is gone. Although, I can't reverse everything I did in the past, I can strive to make up for all the lives that I ruined! I'm going to stop you, Gerard! And no amount of delusions or serums will make me say otherwise!"

"You're really playing with fire here, Ellie. Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure. Gerard. You are going down!"

Ellie then turns around and walks away.

Gerard did not move. He simply gave a genuine smile as he says "Good answer…" before disappearing.

 **Vicinity of Vault 111**

 **An hour later:**

Ellie meets up with Polonsky by the fence.

"So" her old friend said "You made up your mind?"

"I have"

Polonsky smiles as he senses Ellie's determination

"Polonsky, answer me straight. Who are you guys?"

Polonsky's smile quickly disappears. "It's better that you don't know Ellie. I think you can agree with me when I say that some things are not meant to be known"

"I'll accept that for now but I'll demand answers soon"

"We'll see what happens then"

Polonsky then throws the mercenary a pack of mentats

"My special mentats…?" she wondered

"Don't you remember?" Polonsky said "You made those mentats to suppress the FEV. You recently stopped taking them, right?"

"Now that you mention it…"

"Alright. Enough chitchat. We gotta go back to D.C. A lot of shit happened and I need to reorient you!"

With her identity and purpose finally clear, the mercenary goes with her old friend back into the war…

 **D.C. Ruins**

 **Nighttime:**

Vyse, with a gunshot wound to the stomach, is running through the ruins as several armed men chase after him.

"Damn it!" he muttered as he fire his laser pistol at the assailants

He quickly trips on a piece of debris. With no way out and his assailants closing in, Vyse goes against a wall, brings out his laser rifle, and opens fire, killing a few of his assailants, before being shot in both shoulders.

No longer a threat, the assailants surround Vyse, who was bleeding out.

Then a tall hooded man emerges from the group.

"The fuck is up with you people?!" Vyse shouted "You're all backstabbers, you know that"

"Yes, we know Vyse" the tall man responded "If only you didn't delve into our 'affairs', we wouldn't have had to kill you"

"Fuck you assholes to hell!"

"Temper. Temper. I warned you, Vyse but you didn't listen"

"Are you gonna continue talking or are you gonna shoot me already?"

The man then gives a sinister smile. "Don't worry, I'll end you"

The man then aims a M1911 at the knight sergeant's face.

"Oh!" the hooded man said "Did I mention that your death will guide Ellie back to us?"

"Bullshit! She'll never come back to you guys!"

"Let's see. Well goodbye, Knight Sergeant"

The hooded man then pulls the trigger, ending the knight sergeant's life.

"Now then, how should we proceed from here?" he thought


	29. Can I trust you?

**D.C. Ruins, Capital Wasteland**

 **2 weeks later:**

Ellie sits on the roof, or what's left of it, of a derelict building. The skies were dark as the mercenary stares at the horizon, her mind filled with various thoughts…

"So much happened in just a few weeks…" she muttered to herself "… Guys…"

* * *

"What?!" Ellie said as she turns to Polonsky

"Like I said…" he replied "… An unknown group ambushed Lyons' Pride a few days ago…"

"What happened to them? Are they alright?"

"The squad suffered so much casualties… Lyons' Pride is done…"

"No…"

"Marina and Coby suffered serious injuries. They're alive but just barely. James, Dallas and Audrey suffered several bullet wounds but not as serious. Arthur and Elysse disappeared during the ambush and no one's heard from them since. Lastly, Vyse and Kodiak… were killed."

"What?! No… No…!"

"I'm sorry but you had to know. Also, there's-"

"Polonsky!" Ellie interrupted as she grabs her friend's shoulders "Who did this?! Where are they?!"

"Ellie. Calm down"

"Calm down?! You expect me to calm down?! Polon-"

"Ellie! Firstly, we don't know who did this so calm the fuck down! But what we do know is that this may be connected to the spy"

"Spy?"

"Yes. While you were away, someone's been leaking vital information to the NCR. Their assault on the eastern and western fronts a few weeks ago were results of an information leak!"

"Fuck. I gotta get back to the citadel and-"

"And what?"

"And what?! I gotta warn the leaders! We need to get to the bottom of this!"

"The leaders know of your past"

"So?"

"So? Did you forget that one of the Brotherhood's enemies was the Enclave? After you disappeared, the NCR became more aggressive in their advance. The leaders are convinced that you're the spy. The second you step near the Citadel, you'll be arrested. Worst is they'll shoot you on sight."

"N-No way…"

"Your best bet is to stay away from the conflict or at least stay in the shadows"

"No… I-I…"

"I can see that this is a lot to take in. I suggest you go somewhere or even just stay here and think about it for a while. Don't be rash. When you're ready, I'll be waiting at my house. Be careful though. The Brotherhood is on the lookout for you. Stay hidden and stay safe"

"Polonsky…" Ellie muttered as her friend does a leap of faith from their location.

* * *

As Ellie ponders to herself, Gerard suddenly appears next to her.

"What is it this time…" she muttered

"Told you so." he replied "The second they find out, they'll turn their guns against you"

"What do you know?"

"What? All because you helped form this little rebellion, you think they'll always be at your side. This is war, Eleanor. Tools will always be tools and there are people out there who can take advantage of the chaos."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying is that not all of your oh-so-pure "leaders" have actually good motives in fighting this war. They all have their own agenda to serve or else they wouldn't have risked their lives rebelling against such a power"

"You know nothing, Gerard"

"Do I? I think I should be the one telling you that"

Ellie leers at the sinister man as he gives a triumphant smile.

"Still resisting…" he muttered "Like I said, you'll see the light eventually. And when you do, I'll be waiting"

Gerard walks away and disappears into the building.

"Who are you, Gerard…?" she muttered to herself

 **Sometime later:**

As the mercenary traversed the roofs of one derelict building to another, she hears a scream.

Following the source, the mercenary spots a group of soldiers burning an entire settlement as they gather the citizens in the center of the small town.

"Their uniform…" Ellie remarked "That's the Sons of Liberty insignia"

"P-Please!" a middle-aged man said "W-We didn't do anything…"

"Didn't do anything?!" one of the Brotherhood soldiers said "We saw your little town taking care of injured NCR troopers!"

"We were only helping the sick and injured! This has nothing to do with the war!"

"But it doesn't change the fact that you're helping NCR troops!"

"NO!"

Not wanting to sit by and watch, the mercenary covertly descends into the village, landing on top of a rebel soldier.

After knocking the soldier out, Ellie hides behind some debris as she sneaks around the village, knocking out rebel soldiers as she goes.

A short time later, she hides behind a makeshift house just a few meters away from the rebels in the center.

"Last three…" she muttered as she emerges from cover and sprints.

The sound of her running reached the ears of the rebels as they turn around.

"It's her!" one of them shouted as they open fire

Ellie quickly jumps to her left and hides behind some debris as the rebels hammer her position with bullets.

Looking for something to use, the mercenary searches her immediate environment.

"A cane…" she muttered as she picks the object up and spots another "A grenade. Huh? I can't pull the pin? And it feels light… Must be a replica"

Ellie then throws the 'grenade' at the soldiers. "GRENADE!" one of them shouted as three of them jump out of the way.

Taking the opportunity, the mercenary rushes to the first rebel. Before he could properly aim his rifle, the mercenary grabs the muzzle and pushes it to the side as she unleashes a flurry of punches on the man, hitting him in the head, face, and stomach, before knocking him out with a kick to his left cheek.

The other two recover from their jump and continued to open fire on the mercenary, who returns fire with her assault rifle. After a brief exchange of bullets, the other rebel was hit in the left leg and right shoulder.

Ellie then rushes towards the wounded rebel and knocks him out with a punch directly to his face before he was even able to properly stand up.

After briefly staring at one another, the last rebel runs away with Ellie in close pursuit.

 **5 minutes later:**

The rebel proved elusive as he managed to slow down the mercenary using whatever items he could find.

"Crafty little bastard are you…" she muttered as the man blinds fire behind him "Still sloppy though…"

Seeing that the path ahead is covered by debris and the only way is to the right, the mercenary brings out her grappling hook and climbs a derelict building to the top.

Quickly running to the other end of the building, the mercenary fires her grappling hook on another derelict building.

Using the rope as a zipline, the mercenary slides down and lands on top of the rebel.

The man tries to struggle free but stops as the mercenary puts a blade to his neck.

"Now then" she said "You're gonna explain to me what's going on here…"

"Y-You won't get shit from me!" the man said defiantly before Ellie stabs his left shoulder.

"You're gonna talk one way or another" the mercenary said as she pulls out a syringe containing a weirdly colored liquid

"Wh-What is that?"

"This? Just a little something that I want you to drink"

"W-W-Wait"

"Well since you won't talk maybe this serum could help you"

"W-Wait! I-I'll talk!"

"Very good. Now explain to me what were you doing in that settlement"

"W-We were assigned to take care of the settlement! Command said that the settlement was giving aid to NCR troops"

"So you decided to burn it down and murder the residents"

"N-No! It was o-orders from the top"

"Bullshit! The leaders won't agree to this"

"R-Really it's true! Commander Johannes personally gave us the order"

"Johannes?! You think I'm gullible huh?!"

"I-It's true!"

As Ellie continues to interrogate the man, a hooded figure appears before her.

"What is it this time?!" she uttered

The hooded figure undoes her hood, revealing her identity.

"Dallas?!" Ellie uttered "You're alive!"

"Yeah…" the medic coldly replied

Dallas slowly approaches the mercenary and stares at the rebel. "What's going on here?"

"This guy and his squad were burning down a settlement. Accusing them of working for the NCR"

"W-We were only acting on orders!"

"Shut up!"

Dallas continues to stare at the man for a few more minutes before she aims her pistol to his head.

"Wai-" the man uttered before a bullet lands on his forehead.

"Dallas! What the hell?!"

"He was burning down a settlement right?"

"When did you-"

Before the mercenary could complete her sentence, Dallas points her pistol at Ellie. "Dallas. What's going on here?"

"The Pride's gone, Ellie. Kodiak, Vyse, Elysse, Arthur. They're gone… That and you've been accused of being a spy"

"I'm not the spy! Dallas, you know me!"

"Yes I do and I see a threat before my eyes"

"Dallas!"

"Goodbye Ellie"

As Dallas pulls the trigger of her pistol, the mercenary quickly ducks and attempts to stab the medic's legs but she jumps back, dodging the attack.

Dallas then brings out her rifle and begins opening fire on Ellie, who promptly hides behind a car. "I don't want to fight you, Dallas!"

"This makes it easy then!"

As Ellie contemplates her next move, several grenades find their way to her position. "FUCK!"

The second she emerges, Ellie finds herself facing a torrent of bullets from Dallas. Ignoring the torrent, Ellie makes a mad dash towards a derelict building as the grenades detonate and the car explodes.

Breaking through a window, the mercenary makes her way deeper into the building with Dallas not too far behind.

"Dallas! Why are you doing this?! I'm not the spy! I'm not your enemy!"

"Are you?" the medic replied as she fires another burst through the stairs "You turned your back on us! On Vyse!"

"I know…"

"And now where are we?! Vyse and Kodiak are dead, Elysse and Arthur are missing, and Marina & Coby are in critical condition! So how am I gonna react to this?!"

"Please, Dallas. I didn't turn my back on you guys! I just needed some time to collect myself"

"Some time?! 6 weeks! You've been gone for 6 weeks!"

"Dallas please!"

"Shut up and fight me, you bitch!"

Reaching the rooftop, Ellie attempts to use her grappling hook but Dallas manages to shoot her hand, prompting her to drop her only means of escape.

With nowhere to run, Ellie had no choice but to fight her former comrade.

Using her abilities, Ellie closes the distance between her and Dallas. With her adversary close, Dallas drops her rifle. Seeing an opportunity, Ellie flicks her right wrist and attempts to stab the medic's right shoulder.

To the mercenary's surprise, Dallas parries her attack with her own set of hidden blades.

"What?!" Ellie uttered

"You think you're the only one who can use these?"

Ellie bends backwards, narrowly dodging a swipe from Dallas' left blade.

"Dallas please! Listen to me!"

"I'm done listening. I've been keeping an eye on you for a while now and I'm not liking your progress. I think you're a bigger threat than them!"

"Dallas!" Ellie shouted as Dallas charges towards her.

An intense fight ensues with Dallas attempting to land a hit with her hidden blades while Ellie struggles to parry every single attempt.

A few minutes later, Dallas attempts to impale her right blade on the mercenary's face. Thanks to her reflexes, Ellie manages to block the blade using both of her hidden blades. But before she could decide her next move, Ellie hears a familiar sound coming from Dallas' gauntlet.

As if driven by instinct, Ellie leans to her left, narrowly dodging a bullet the emerged from a mechanism in Dallas' gauntlet.

Taking the opportunity, Dallas breaks her right gauntlet free and brings out her pistol. Acting fast, Ellie pushes Dallas' right arm, prompting her to miss her shot as she pulls the trigger. Ellie then attempts to stab Dallas' left shoulder but the medic sidesteps and aims her pistol once more. Once again, the mercenary quickly pushes the medic's arm, missing the shot. As Ellie does one more lunge, Dallas grabs her arm and pulls the mercenary towards her. She then headbutts the mercenary and stabs her in the stomach.

Injured and momentarily disoriented, the mercenary still manages to land a punch on Dallas' right cheek. Dallas quickly recovers but finds that both fighters are now pointing their respective pistols at one another.

"You're pretty good…" Dallas said as she notices Ellie's injury quickly healing "For a super mutant"

"Dallas. Please listen to me. I am not your enemy. I want to help!"

"Why should I trust you now? For all we know, you could be plotting something behind our backs"

"I'm not with the Enclave anymore!"

"Are you sure?! Give me a good reason to believe you!"

"I…"

"You fucking left! Did you know how worried everyone was?! Especially Vyse! He fucking brooded every night after you disappeared! And now he's dead!"

"Vyse…"

"So tell me, Ellie! How can I trust you?!"

Ellie ponders to herself as she notices Gerard behind Dallas. "See? I told you everyone's going to turn against you. So what will you do now…?"

Ellie struggles to get her thoughts straight as Gerard continues to taunt her.

"Shoot her…" Gerard whispered from behind "… She's already convinced that you're a threat solely on the reason that you were with the Enclave. Shoot her"

Ellie closes her eyes as Gerard continues to coax her into shooting her former comrade. She then puts down her pistol and raises her arms. "I'll let you decide then, Dallas. I've said my piece. So if you still don't believe me, then shoot me."

Ellie then injects herself with the syringe containing the purple liquid. "I've suppressed the FEV inside of me. Aim for my head and I won't come back"

"You expect to win me over with this emotional shit?!"

"What are you doing?!" Gerard remarked "You're just going to allow her to kill you?!"

"Dallas" Ellie said ignoring Gerard's protests "My life is in your hands"

After some time, Dallas closes her eyes and aims her pistol at the mercenary. Ellie closes her eyes, awaiting her fate. "I'm proud to have served with you guys in Lyons' Pride…"

After one last exhale, the medic pulls the trigger.

 **?:**

Gerard sits down in a small room as a small blue light begins to flash.

He quickly presses a hidden button from under his desk as the wall opens, revealing a large screen with the words 'audio only' showing.

"I have heard that Ellie has returned" the voice from the other side said

"Yes…"

"How is she?"

Gerard did not respond

"I have a feeling that things are not going according to your plan?"

"Even after regaining her memories, her actions are still unpredictable."

"A minor setback. But a setback nevertheless. I want this dealt with. I'm disappointed, Gerard. I expected more from you since you are part of the circle"

"Yes… My apologies"

"I'll be asking for updates soon and I want to hear good news for a change"

"Yes…"

As the wall closes, Gerard gave a confident smile. "Everything IS going according to plan… Although, you won't like the outcome. Just a little more time"

 **Fiore:**

As Polonsky sits down and eats some pre-War potato chips, he hears a knock on his door. He quickly answers the door and sees Ellie, alive and well.

"Ellie!" He said with a smile "Come on in!"

As the mercenary makes herself comfortable, Polonsky offers her a bottle of Nuka-Cola, which she accepts.

"So" he said "Have you made your decision?"

"Yes… I want to do what I can. I don't want to just sit somewhere and hope this blows over"

"So like you..." Polonsky remarked with a smile "... Fine... There's no convincing you anyway. If you really want to help I can give you a couple of missions to do"

"That's fine. But I have questions that need answers"

Polonsky's eyes squint as he says "I'll only answer questions that I deem to be 'appropriate', got it?"

"Very well. First question: What do you want me to do and why?"

"Simple actually. You'll be doing several things for us. Assassinations, stealing documents, et cetera. Why? Well for starters, it's not like you can go back to the Citadel, now can you? Second reason being is that these missions would ultimately help both of us"

"How so?"

"Well. We're pretty much hunting the same person. The NCR spy leaking the information"

"And you think these missions will helps us get to him?"

"Yes"

"Alright. Second question: What group are we facing against? Based on my interactions with you guys, I feel that there's some sort of 3rd party involved"

"I can't tell you exactly who they are but they have been around for quite some time, in fact they already existed before you or me were even born and have manipulated a lot of events throughout the wasteland"

"So you think this group has a grip on the rebellion?"

"Yes. We believe that their agents have already penetrated the rebel ranks as well as NCR ranks"

"What? They're spying on both factions?"

"Yes. I mean, how can you manipulate an entire event without getting people on both sides?"

"Fair enough. Lastly, who are you people? What do you get out of doing these things or even fighting them? Why do you fight?"

"That is an excellent question. But an 'inappropriate' one at that. What I can tell you is that our objective is the same as Sons of Liberty. Freedom. We want freedom."

"Freedom? Freedom from what?"

"Strings. Puppets. Things that you don't know are actually manipulating every single action and thought that goes through your mind"

"Fine. I'll help you but if I feel that you're hiding too much information from me, I won't hesitate to point my blade against you, even if it's you Polonsky"

"I wouldn't have it any other way"

"Alright. I'll rest at my house for a while. I'll be back later tonight to discuss on the plans"

"Right. I'll just be here"

As Ellie leaves through the door, Polonsky, who is still seated in the same chair, couldn't help but smile. "So… What's your verdict?"

"She looks stable" Dallas said as she deactivates her stealth boy "I still have my doubts but I feel that she's more or less ok"

"Good to hear. How'd you like the fight?"

"She's a cunning one, I'll give her that. But I know she was holding back. But it was fun, more or less."

"Right"

"Polonsky. Do you truly believe that she'll truly be able to help us? I know we've been struggling for decades now but pinning our hopes on a former Enclave scientist and soldier is just way too much of a gamble"

"After all that, you're still hanging on to that reasoning?"

"I can't help it…"

"I understand though. If she were to turn her back on us, we'd be in a shitload of trouble"

"Then let's hope that this little gamble would pay off"

"It will. Me and Marcus believe it will…"

 **Flashback:**

Ellie opens her eyes to find that Dallas shot the wall next to her. "Dallas…"

Dallas closes her eyes as she puts her gun down "I'll give you a chance"

"Dallas…"

"It's what Vyse would have wanted… So don't you dare make any more wrong decisions!"

"I won't"

Dallas then turns around and proceeds to the edge of the roof. "I hope you're right, Ellie. For both our sakes…"

She then does a leap of faith, leaving the mercenary in the roof.

Safely reaching the streets, Dallas examines the body of the rebel she shot.

"Knew it…" she muttered as she takes a necklace bearing the iron cross.


	30. Media

**Weeks later:**

 **Firebase Izoold, Virginia:**

 **10:45pm**

"Firebase Izoold…" Ellie muttered as she scouts the base from a nearby cliff "Heavily fortified… Estimated at least 30 shooters, armed with standard NCR equipment. No Rangers. No Power Armor."

As she scouts the base, Ellie brings out a holotape and plays the contents on her Pip-Boy

"Your next job is to help the Sons of Liberty Virginia Wing to attack this NCR forward base. Weaken the base defenses but don't make it too easy for them to take the base. That should give you a window to reach your target. Same as always. You go in, take out the target and get out. The attack is scheduled to begin at around 11pm. Don't be late for the party"

As if right on que, gunfire suddenly erupts as the sound of battle cries echo throughout the night.

"Someone's got an itchy trigger finger…" Ellie remarked as she checks on the time "10:50. Oh well. Least I can finish this early"

Bringing out a pair of binoculars, Ellie assess the situtation. "They're getting their asses kicked. What's the field commander thinking making them go on a blind charge like that?"

Her attention then shifts to the east towards the source of a few loud gunshots.

"Bingo…" she said as she spots several individuals on the cliffs "Snipers… Priority one then"

Ellie attempted to use her abilities to reach the snipers but found herself running at a normal pace. "Looks like I injected too much of that serum… Not like it's gonna be much of a hindrance"

Within a few minutes, the mercenary reaches the snipers. She crept close to one and taps his shoulder.

"Hi" she said as she punches the man in the face

Before the 2nd sniper could react, Ellie uses her hidden blades to impale his left shoulder and neutralizes the threat by punching him on the left cheek.

The 3rd sniper quickly drops his rifle and attempts to draw his pistol. Ellie moves quickly and manages to wrest control of the gun from the man and does a pistol whip on his head, knocking him out.

Ellie then grabs one of the sniper's rifles.

"An M14 EBR…" the mercenary noted "… Damn… These guys don't even realize how vintage this thing is…"

Wasting no time, the mercenary provided sniper support to the rebels below. Upon breaking through the gate, Ellie quickly heads to the east.

 **Rebel Camp**

 **A few minutes later:**

"Lightly guarded…" Ellie remarked as she scours the camp "… Just as planned"

Sneaking through the camp, Ellie quietly eliminates the camp's guards by slowly choking them until they lose consciousness.

It did not take long for the mercenary to reach the commander's tent as the female commander emerges from it.

"There you are…" the mercenary muttered as the female commander walks towards the rebel buggy parked at the edge of the camp.

Moving quickly, Ellie enters the tent and finds a lone holotape on the table. With no other object of interest, Ellie takes the holotape and proceeds to stalk her target.

As her target was about to the buggy, Ellie charges towards her target, quickly grabbing one of the guards and throwing them on the ground and knocking him unconscious with a punch to the face.

Her target quickly gets on the buggy and speeds away as the other guard opens fire on the mercenary. Looking around, the mercenary quickly spots another buggy and resumed her chase.

Quickly noticing the mercenary catching up, the rebel fires the buggy's .50 cal on Ellie's buggy.

Ellie quickly maneuvers her vehicle to avoid the shots.

Eventually, she manages to get close enough to jump on the enemy buggy.

She quickly grabs the guard, manning the machine gun, and throws him off the buggy and sets her sights on her target.

Acting fast, the female commander makes a hard left, disorienting Ellie but not enough to force her off the buggy. She tries again and makes a hard right, still failing to dislodge the mercenary.

Desperate since the mercenary was dangerously close, the female commander makes another hard turn. This time, however, the vehicle topples over, dislodging both individuals off the vehicle.

Ellie and her target quickly recover from the accident as they stand up and stare at one another.

After some time, the female commander quickly draws her pistol and fires a shot. Acting fast, Ellie dodges the shot and charges at her target. She attempts to grab the pistol but her target proved to be an agile fighter as both individuals parry each other's blows, as well as the mercenary constantly redirecting her target's right arm to ensure all of her shots miss. Soon, Ellie manages to pin her target to the ground. Holding her target's left arm, Ellie attempts to stab the commander with her right blade. But the commander grabs Ellie's right arm and tries to stop her to no avail as Ellie was stronger.

"You" Ellie said as she watches her target slowly die "Tell me who the fuck has been fucking the rebellion over!"

"You have no idea" the commander said as she coughs up blood "You traitor…"

"Don't fuck with me!"

"I-I mean what I said… You are a traitor… You betray us…"

"You were with the Enclave?!"

"Enclave?" the woman said as she gives a pained laugh "You have no idea… I wonder what the Grand Master saw in you…"

"Grand Master? Hey! What the fuck do you mean?!"

Not long after, the commander closed her eyes and died, leaving an angered Ellie to put together what she said.

"Grand Master…"

* * *

By the power vested in me, you are now one of us

* * *

"Huh?" Ellie uttered as she saw a vision of a man holding her hand "What was that…?"

 **Abandoned Subdivision:**

Entering one of the houses' basements, Ellie meets up with her allies to discuss her latest mission.

"Nice work, Ellie" Polonsky said "The NCR's grip on Virginia is weakening"

"Yeah…"

"Something up?"

"N-Nothing. I found this holotape in the rebel camp. Inside is only one document. Says here that there's a high value prisoner inside Camp Guam"

"Camp Guam? The former Chinese prison camp?"

"Yeah… It's currently held by the Sons of Liberty right? You think this intel is any good?"

"Hmm… Based on these docs, this prisoner is a high value target. I think it's worth checking"

"Alright. I'll head out then"

 **Camp Guam**

 **8:30pm:**

Standing over a hill, the mercenary scours the immediate area.

"That's weird…" she remarked "Not that many guards and one building… Is the prison underground..?"

Minutes later, Ellie jumps down and infiltrates the lone building with little effort.

After picking the lock on the door, Ellie proceeds into the building, noticing that she is headed underground.

 **Camp Guam (Underground Prison):**

"Spacious" Ellie noted as she emerges from the entrance door

She turns to her right and proceeds to a nearby room, manned by two guards.

"Easy" she whispered as she knocks out both guards with ease

Checking the bodies, Ellie finds a holotape on one of the guards

"What do we have here…?" she muttered as she puts the holotape on her Pip-Boy

* * *

"Alright" a familiar male voice said "This intel should do for now. What's the status on the notable target in the area?"

"Following the surprise attack a few weeks ago" A familiar female voice replied "the rebels are on the defensive. TC is fortifying the western front, mostly Girdershade. RR is mostly posted in the center, fortifying Big Town and other surrounding settlements. Regs are the weakest of the bunch and they're covering the eastern front"

"What about the Pride?"

"They're done. That ambush eliminated most of the members but Arthur and Elysse are unaccounted for"

"Of all the people to be unconfirmed… Those two are our biggest threat. I expect an update on them. And it better be good"

"Yes sir. I'll make sure of that"

* * *

"Those voices…" Ellie muttered as the recording ends "Where have I heard those before…?"

Despite her efforts to remember, Ellie could not figure out the identity of the individuals in the recording. Not wanting to waste any more time, the mercenary proceeds with her mission.

As Ellie traverses the hallways of the prison, avoiding guards, a scream echoes through a narrow hallway. Curious, the mercenary headed towards the source.

What she saw horrified her. A Sons of Liberty Soldier beating a NCR prisoner while a wastelander, another prisoner, is begging him to stop.

"Good-for-nothing NCR!" the rebel shouted as he punches the prisoner senseless

"Please stop!" the female prisoner begged as she grabbed the rebel's legs

"Bitch!" another rebel said as he pulls the woman away "Another NCR whore!"

"What the hell?!" Ellie muttered as she contemplates on helping the prisoners

"NO!" the woman shouted as the guard continues to beat the NCR prisoner

After a couple of punches, the guard suddenly feels someone grab his fist.

"I never thought you guys would go this low…" Ellie uttered slowly and angrily "I didn't create the Sons of Liberty for you guys to fuck over!"

Ellie then twists the man's arm and covers his mouth as she throws him against the wall, knocking him out.

The other guard attempts to take the female prisoner hostage by placing a knife over her neck. "He-"

But before he could utter anymore, Ellie presses her palm on the guard's face and smashes him to the wall, knocking him out.

With both guards neutralized, Ellie checks up on the NCR prisoner, who was badly beaten.

"Th-Thank y-you…" he said with a pain tone

"Save your strength" she replied "I'll give you some stimpaks that should help with your injuries"

"Wh-What do we do now?" the female prisoner asked "When the guards wake up or find us, we'll be in big trouble"

Ellie ponders to herself for a bit. "Stay here for now. When all hell breaks loose, then that's your cue to escape"

"Really?"

"Yes"

"Thank you. Is it ok if I ask who you are?"

Ellie smiles at the woman. "I'm just a regular wastelander trying to make a living in this world"

 **Lower levels:**

A few minutes later, Ellie nears her destination.

"The control room should be round here… Just near solitary confinement"

As she scours the area, a guard emerges from a room to her right. "Bingo"

Ellie makes her way to the door as the guard goes to the higher levels. Slowly opening it, she finds three guards inside the room. One in front of some monitors, another smoking in one corner, and the last one asleep in the middle.

Ellie checks her equipment. "Hmm… Should I go lethal?" She then checks on her gauntlet, specifically the undercarriage. "Sleep darts… Why not?"

Seconds later, Ellie bursts through the door and quickly fires her sleep dart on the guard by the monitor before he could flip the alarm. The smoking guard quickly drops his cigarette and attempts to pick up his rifle but Ellie quickly closes the distance and unleashes a flurry of punches, knocking him out. The sleeping guard dropped from his chair and was about to fire his pistol but the mercenary quickly threw a knife, hitting his right hand, prompting him to drop his pistol.

The mercenary quickly reloads her sleeping darts and hits the man before he could properly react.

She then moves to the monitors. Placing the guard's body on one side, she checks on the controls.

"Emergency release" she muttered as she spots a button "Hell is about to break loose"

She then presses the button, opening every single door in the prison.

"Who opened the cell doors?!" one of the rebel guards shouted as a NCR prisoner pounces from behind.

"The prisoners are escaping!" another guard shouted as another prisoner pounces on him before he could fire his gun.

"Have fun boys" Ellie muttered as she heads towards solitary confinement

 **Solitary Confinement:**

"Only one way out" Ellie remarked "All the doors are open. My target must still be in his cell"

She heads towards the cell door at the very end of the hallway.

Opening the door, Ellie is greeted by a familiar face. "YOU!"

"Well. Well." The prisoner said with a hint of confidence "I never thought, you'd come to my rescue"

"I should have guessed it was you"

"Why? Expecting someone else?"

"Actually I was. Someone much more dignified and refined than you, Gusurg!"

"That's sharp, my lady" the man replied as he walks closer "So are you gonna get me out of here?"

"Give me a good reason to"

"Word is, you've been accused of being a spy for the NCR. You want to know who the spy is, right?"

"You know who the spy is?"

"I have more or less an idea"

"That's not reassuring"

"Well you're free to just leave me here"

"Fine… But you'll follow every order I give, no funny business, and you WILL tell me EVERYTHING you know!"

"Yeah. Yeah. I promise"

"Alright. Let's go"

"Ladies first"

 **Abandoned Subdivision;**

 **The next day:**

"So Gusurg was the high value prisoner in Camp Guam?" Polonsky said

"Yeah… I also got another holotape that matches his voice. Looks like he was talking to the spy. So Gusurg, who the fuck did you talk to?"

"I can't really say. She had a hood and a mask on so I can't really tell"

"Bullshit! You better fucking tell me or I'll fucking gut you!"

"Whoah there. I'm actually keeping my end of the bargain. Yes. I was the guy at that recording but the person was wearing a hood and mask so I couldn't really recognize em."

"Gusurg. You damn low son of a bitch! You have exactly 5 seconds to tell me or I'll make sure you'll be breathing through a tube!"

"Temper. Temper. But I do know one thing. The spy is closer than you think"

"What does that mean?!"

"изменник друг"

Angered by his reply, Ellie approaches the traitorous soldier. "What does that fucking mean?! You better tell me you motherfucker!"

Before she could even get a hold of him, Gusurg drops a grenade to the floor. "See you guys later"

"Cheeky Bastard!" Ellie shouted as the grenade detonates, blinding and deafening Ellie and Polonsky as Gusurg escapes.

After a few minutes, both individuals recover but Gusurg was gone.

"FUCK!" Ellie shouted as she kicks the wall "Can't even trust that bastard!"

"But he did leave some clues" Polonsky replied "This holotape can be useful. I'll have our guys check it out. Also, his statement 'the spy is closer than you think', does that mean anything?"

"I don't know… Should we trust any of that shit he said?"

"It's worth looking into. Anyway, we better go back to D.C. The Virginia rebels could handle things from here. Good work, Ellie"

"Right…"

 **D.C. Ruins**

 **A few days later:**

Ellie walks through the ruins as she continues to ponder on Gusurg's words. "What the hell does he mean…?"

Her thoughts are then interrupted when a sniper nearly lands a bullet on her head.

"A sniper?!" Ellie uttered as she quickly scrambles for cover "Where...?"

As she peeks through the window, the sniper fires again, hitting the wall on Ellie's left, missing her left eye by a few inches. "Shit. He's skilled!"

Ellie then goes deeper into the building as she attempts to use her eagle vision but could not find her attacker. "Looks like I gotta get closer… But I need to cross the street…"

The mercenary goes to the very end of the building and stares at another building across the street. "The serum's still affecting my abilities… I hope my luck holds out"

Ellie then positions herself behind a destroyed wall and prepares herself for her next move.

"Fortune favors the bold" Ellie muttered as she sprints towards the building across the street, barely dodging a shot from the sniper as she nears the building.

Entering the building, Ellie uses her eagle vision once more and finds the sniper. "Rooftop. I found ya, you bitch!"

To her luck, Ellie finds that the building she is in is connected to the building that the sniper is on. She sneaks her way through the building and eventually gets behind the sniper.

She prepares to take the sniper by surprise but before she could grab the sniper, her opponent suddenly turns around, grabs her arm, and throws her to the floor. The sniper then draws his pistol but Ellie quickly rolls to the side, dodging the bullet.

Ellie quickly gets up and engages the sniper in CQC. The sniper proved to be a capable fighter but it was not enough to hinder the mercenary who manages to pin the sniper to the floor.

"Now then, who am I dealing with?" Ellie said as she removes the sniper's mask

Shocked at the revelation, Ellie could only utter "WHAT?! Marina?!"

"You're gonna kill me too, Ellie?" the sniper said "Just like how you got the Pride killed?"

"Marina. It wasn't me! I'm not the spy"

"Bullshit. You expect me to believe that?!"

"Marina please. Believe me. You know I would never do such a thing!"

"I thought that too until that day… You had no idea how everyone was worried about you, especially Vyse. You fucking left us and now here you are crawling back"

"It's true that I left you guys back then and I'm sorry… Especially about Vyse. But now I'm back and I'm willing to make things right."

"You expect me to believe that half-hearted bullshit?!"

"Alright…" Ellie said as she helps the sniper up "Shoot me then. A few weeks ago, I injected myself with a powerful serum. It's affecting my abilities and I think I'll die if you shoot me in the head right now. So if you don't believe me then shoot me"

Marina then draws her pistol and positions the muzzle on Ellie's forehead. "I'll ask you one last time. Did you betray us?"

"No… I'll never betray you guys"

Marina stays silent for a moment before finally putting her gun down. "Fine… I believe you"

"Marina…"

"Honestly, I never believe that you were the spy. I just needed to confirm it"

"Marina…"

"Anyway, if you really want to make things right, I got a job for you"

"A job?"

"High Command wants to attack Little Lamplight but the kids there are preventing us from moving. The NCR is using those kids as hostages to make sure we don't touch that place"

"So you want me to rescue those kids?"

"Not just rescue. That place houses a lot of kids. I doubt you can get in there and extract them without problems. My proposition is to take out the enemy commander"

"Enemy commander?"

"Yeah. Intel says he's been abusive to those kids and he planned the entire hostage bullshit. Kill him and the rest of those NCR bastards will lose morale, giving the kids time to escape and giving us the opportunity we need. Here, I have a picture of the target in this holotape."

"Right. I'm on it, Marina. Also, thanks for believing in me"

"No problem. Besides, we're doing what we can for the wasteland, right?"

"Right"

"Meet me back here in 2 days for an update"

"Alright"

 **Little Lamplight (Caverns):**

 **6:45pm:**

"Infiltration was almost too easy…" the mercenary noted "… For such strategic location, one would expect it to be better guarded…"

She then spots her target, alone, in the far end of the caverns. She makes her way to the man, avoiding the other guards.

In no time, she finds herself just above the man. She drops down and prepares her hidden blade.

Landing on top of the man, she quickly stabs him in the chest.

"Gah!" the man uttered "W-Why?"

"Your days of abusing these kids is over, you scum"

"A-Abusing? Wh-What are you-"

Before the man could finish his sentence, he succumbed to his wounds. With her target down and after providing an escape route for the children, Ellie easily leaves Little Lamplight.

 **D.C. Ruins**

 **2 days later:**

"Good work, Ellie" Marina said with a smile "Thanks to you, we managed to take Little Lamplight without a problem"

"And the kids?"

"They're in good hands"

"That's good. So what now?"

"I got another job for you. This time, it's one of our own"

"One of our own?"

"I've been looking into the spy. I managed to dig up something about this guy. He's been limiting the distribution of water to the settlements to enable him to sell some of it to NCR caravans. Take him out"

 **Temple of the Union**

 **Days later:**

Ellie enters the underground vault and uses her eagle vision to pinpoint the positions of the guards.

"Should I really do it…?" she wondered as she remembers what Marina told her hours before

* * *

"Again, great work. We're making good progress! I've got a new mission for you" the sniper said "A squad of rebels in the Temple of the Union are planning to defect to the NCR. This time, no one should leave that place alive"

"Kill everyone? Why?"

"They're all traitors. We can't take any more chances"

"There's something off about this, Marina"

"Don't sweat the small stuff, Ellie. Just know that these guys are traitors that need to be put down"

"Marina…"

* * *

Ellie contemplates on her choices before finally deciding. "If I kill the commander, maybe the morale of the others would drop"

She makes her way through the vault, avoiding the guards.

Minutes later, she finds her target and covertly eliminates him.

As he lay dying, the commander uttered "Wh-What did I do?"

"You're a traitor. Defecting to the NCR. Such a despicable and cowardly act"

"Defect? What do you mean? I never planned to do that"

"Save your lies in the afterlife"

"Shit… I get it now… Listen to me. You don't know what you're doing"

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing is true…"

"Nothing is true? What are you talking about? Tell me!"

But the man was already dead and could no longer answer the mercenary's questions. "Nothing is true..?"

With her target down, Ellie leaves the area with a heavy and confused heart.

 **Yao Guai Tunnels**

 **3 days later:**

Ellie stands on an elevated part of the cave as she observes a meeting between Jack and a hooded figure.

* * *

"Ellie. I finally know who the spy is"

"Really? Who?"

"It's Jack! The Talon Company Commander"

"The merc?"

"Yes! As well as Ronald Laren, they've been leaking information to the NCR for the past few months!"

"Those two? But how?"

"I'm not sure but they're definitely the ones behind all the shit that's been happening!"

"Fuck…"

"Right. Jack is going to meet with someone in the Yao Guai Tunnels. Again, no one should walk out of there alive"

"Right…"

* * *

"Marina…" Ellie muttered as she leaps towards Jack, her target.

As she nears her target, Ellie flicks her right wrist but she notices the hooded figure suddenly draw a pistol and shoots her in the right shoulder, causing her to miss her mark.

Ellie quickly recovers and the hooded figure quickly puts down her hood.

"Dallas?!" Ellie uttered

"I should have killed you when I had the chance!" Dallas shouted as she opens fire on the mercenary who quickly breaks for cover

"What are you talking about, Dallas?! Jack and Laren are the spies! They're the traitor!"

"Shut up!"

Ellie quickly makes her way to Dallas. With her enemy up close, Dallas drops her pistol and engages Ellie in CQC. They attempt to land a punch on one another but both manage to grab each other's arms.

As they struggle to free themselves from each other's grip, someone shouts "Enough!"

"Polonsky?" Ellie uttered as she continues to struggle

"Jack and Laren are not the spies" he said

"What are you talking about? I met up with Marina and she told me"

"What Marina told you were lies"

"What are you talking about? All those people she asked me to kill were evil"

"Evil is relative. Besides, the men you killed were not even remotely close to that"

"What do you mean?"

"The NCR commander you killed in Little Lamplight was actually preventing those kids from being evicted by the NCR. With him dead and the rebels taking over, those kids were given two options: leave or work for the rebellion"

"No way…"

"The one at the Purifier was actually giving water to everyone, including the Pro-NCR communities. Thanks to you, these communities are no longer being given water just because they either supported the NCR or preferred to stay neutral. And that commander in the Temple of the Union was never planning to defect. In fact, he was about to expose the real spy!"

"What?"

"Jack and Laren have been leaking information to the NCR but it was all false information to enable them to identify the spy. Now, we finally know who the spy is thanks to them and the holotapes you gathered!"

"No… I refuse to believe that Marina would lie to me like that. There's no way she'd manipulate me like that"

"Don't you get it, Ellie?!" Dallas shouted "Marina IS the SPY!"


	31. Plan B

**Republic of Dave**

 **7:45pm**

 **4 days later:**

"Howitzers, buggies, and APCs…" Ellie muttered as she scours the settlement from a nearby hill "Where did they get all this equipment?"

 **Flashback**

 **Yao Guai Tunnels**

 **4 days ago:**

"What are talking about?!" Ellie said "Marina's the spy? That's bullshit!"

"It's true" Polonsky replied "Marina's been leaking information to the NCR for quite some time now"

"No… I can't believe this. Marina… Marina won't do something like that!"

"Just like how you thought Gusurg wouldn't betray the Pride a few months ago?"

"Urk…"

"Damn it, Ellie" Dallas said with an angry tone "Accept the facts already! Marina's been fucking us over from the beginning!"

"How can you say that, Dallas? She was your teammate too!"

"Yes she was. Now she's my, and also hopefully your, enemy"

"How can you casually accept all this shit?"

"I didn't. At first, I couldn't believe it but the evidence is there!"

"Evidence?"

"Have you ever wondered how the NCR kept on finding out our plans?"

"What do you mean?"

"My suspicions started in South Carolina, when we were supposed to raid that NCR supply base. Sithis kept on saying that his spy network is topnotch and reliable. How could the NCR get their hands on one and 'convince' him to defect?"

"What are you getting at?"

"You probably don't remember but Marina was able to see the file containing the names of Sithis' spies"

"What?!"

"Yep. She saw them 'by accident' while Sithis was gathering the intel about the NCR supply base. Then a day or two later, his spy gets compromised"

"That's circumstantial!"

"Not satisfied? Alright then. Remember the day after the raid, Scattered Bones HQ was attacked by the Western Brotherhood. Isn't it odd that they managed to find a well-hidden base so easily? When we returned from the raid, we even made sure that no one followed us. You confirmed it yourself thanks to your 'eagle vision'. So how did they find the base?"

Ellie did not respond. All she could do was stare at Dallas.

"Still not convinced?" the medic said as she hands over a holotape to the mercenary "Then listen to this"

* * *

"Is the deed done?" a deep menacing voice said

"Yes" a female voice answered "The Pride's been dealt with"

"Give me a sitrep then"

"Kodiak and Vyse are dead, I made sure of the latter. Coby's seriously injured but before I could get to him, a Brotherhood patrol found him. Arthur Maxson and Elysse are unaccounted for"

"Unaccounted for? There is still a chance that they're alive?"

"Yes"

"This is not what was supposed to happen. Didn't I make it clear that the Pride should be put down?!"

"Yes sir"

"So please tell me why the fuck are Arthur and Elysse still possibly alive?!"

"I'm sorry sir"

"Sorry doesn't cut it. We need a contingency plan. For now, go through the plan as normal. Ellie will return to D.C. in a matter of days and by then, she should already be accused of espionage"

"Yes sir. It will be done"

"Don't fuck this up, Marina!"

"Yes…"

* * *

"Fuck…" Ellie muttered as she chuckles "… I can't believe it… It is her… Shit… She did fuck us over… She even… killed Vyse herself…"

"Ellie…" Dallas uttered

"Now do you believe us?" Polonsky asked

Ellie didn't respond she merely chuckled.

"Ellie?" Dallas uttered

"…Where is she?" Ellie muttered

"What?" Polonsky asked

"Where is she?!"

"Ellie!" he replied "Calm the fuck down! You're going into a blind rage again!"

Realizing her current state of mind, Ellie quickly composes herself. "Sorry… The FEV heightens aggressive impulses…"

"FEV or no" Dallas replied "You gotta keep that under control. We don't want you going berserk… again"

"Right… So what do we do now?"

"We can't undo the damage you unwittingly did" Polonsky said

"But there is a way to fix it" Jack interrupted

"Jack?" Dallas muttered

"Sorry" the mercenary leader said "I was listening to your little pep talk and I really felt out-of-place"

"So how do we fix this?" Ellie asked

"By now. The Sons of Liberty have gained enough of a foothold to attack the NCR's central command"

"Raven Rock" Ellie uttered

"That's right. Command's getting ready for a full-scale assault on the HQ but it's not gonna end well"

"What do you mean?"

"Your little friend, Marina, leaked the battle plans to none other than General Alexander himself"

"Shit…"

"Shit indeed… With that intel on his hands, he'll turn the battalions of rebel soldiers into smoldering pieces of meat in less than half an hour"

"So how do we stop this?"

"The NCR still has quite an arsenal of vehicles. They're stationed at the Republic of Dave, which command suspiciously decided not to touch"

"Why?"

"Well with the enemy's most important base right in front of them, they wanted to end this war now or…"

"Or?"

"Nothing. Anyway, inside the settlement is an entire battalion of NCR troops, armed with long range weaponry from sniper rifles, rocket launchers, howitzers, buggies, and even working APCs."

"Buggies?! APCs?! How the fuck did they get a hold of those?!"

"The Western Brotherhood has gained a significant amount of tech over the years… You'd be surprised what they have right now…"

"Shit…"

"Anyway, with those motherfuckers there, that battle will end in less than half an hour with a high chance of raining guts. And with the area between the basecamp and Raven Rock being on big fucking open field, doesn't help either…"

"So all we need to do is take out those troops, right?"

"No." Polonsky interrupted "We focus on taking out Marina"

"What?! You're just gonna let those bastards bomb our men?!"

"It's a hard decision but Marina won't see it coming. While the NCR is busy bombing our men, Marina will most likely show her true colors and defect from there. That's our best timeframe to kill her"

"The fuck?!"

"This is our only chance to-"

"The fuck are you spouting, Polonsky?! That plan doesn't make fucking sense! Even if we manage to kill Marina, it won't mean shit if our men gets bombed to high hell!"

"What do you propose we do then? If we go with your plan, the NCR's gonna find out right away that their battalion got wiped out. They'll adjust their plans accordingly and, knowing Alexander, quickly!"

"Then we strike during the assault itself!"

"By then, it'll already be too late!"

"Then we fucking take down that battalion days before and replace key staff with our own!"

"Where will we get the men? We don't have enough manpower and the rebellion still doesn't trust you! We don't have the fucking time!"

"Then we make time, damn it!"

"Ellie! You have got to accept that sacrifices should be made to attain victory!"

"You may consider a pyrrhic victory a victory, but all those losses would amount to nothing! If you're not gonna help me, then I'll take that base down myself!"

"Ellie wait!" Polonsky said as Ellie runs off

As the mercenary leaves the cave, Dallas approaches Polonsky. "Tell me. You supported her idea, didn't you?"

"Was it that obvious?"

"Kind of. What were you trying to achieve?"

"I just wanted to test something"

"Something?"

"I wanted to see if she's still the same Ellie I knew all those years ago…"

"So what's your verdict?"

Polonsky smiles as he lights a cigarette. "She's still with us"

* * *

 **Present Day:**

"There's a lot of them…" Ellie remarked "can't back out now…"

The mercenary's train-of-thought is then interrupted by a brief sound of a footstep. Pretending to not notice the sound, Ellie continues to scan the base as the lurking individual behind her gets closer.

As the individual was about to grab the mercenary, Ellie's reflexes kick in.

"Too easy!" Ellie said as she grabs the individual's arm and throws him to the ground "You think you can sneak up on me, you son of a… Dallas?!"

"Ouch… FEV or not, you're one hell of a CQC fighter…" Dallas remarked as she stands up and straightens her back "Damn that was a hard fall…"

"Dallas what are you doing here?"

"I came to help your sorry ass"

"What?"

"You heard me! I can't have you doing this alone"

"But I thought-"

"Past is the past. I got a small team ready. Let's take these bastards down!"

Ellie smiles as 19 other individuals emerge from the rocks.

"Where did you get the manpower?" Ellie asked

"Polonsky and Jack called in some favors"

"Whoah…"

"Let's not waste any more time. Let's go!"

"Right!"

The mercenary then guides the squad to the northeastern end of the settlement, all the while avoiding the rays of the settlement's searchlights.

 **A few minutes later:**

Reaching the northeastern walls, Ellie peeks through a hole on the crudely-built wall. "We're just behind a building. No guards. Alright, time to get to work"

But the mercenary did not move. She simply looked through the peephole.

"Ellie" Dallas said "What are we waiting for?"

"A loud noise" Ellie replied

"Loud noise?"

"Hey!" an NCR trooper shouted "We got more APCs incoming! Raise the gate!"

Just then, an NCR APC arrives.

"Now!" Ellie said "We tear down parts of this wall!"

Using the loud sounds made by the APC, Ellie and the others began to tear parts of the wooden wall piece-by-piece.

Just as the APC finished parking, the squad managed to tear a hole big enough to fit everyone through.

"Nice" Ellie whispered "Alright. I need 4 people to come with me to the main hall

"I'll stay behind" Dallas whispered

"Ok. Let's go!"

Sneaking past guards, Ellie and the 4 men hide behind the main hall.

"Wait for my signal" Ellie whispered as the 4 men nod in response

The mercenary then uses a stealth boy and sneaks through the front door.

 **Republic of Dave; Main Hall:**

Inside, the mercenary finds several NCR troopers. One-by-one, she covertly eliminates each threat with non-lethal force, succeeding in taking down all of the soldiers including the commander without being detected.

She then ties all of them in the 2nd floor as she signals the 4 men through the window.

Entering the hall, the 4 men take the NCR officers' uniforms and get to their positions as Ellie leaves the building to continue the mission.

Returning to Dallas, Ellie briefs the group of their success. "The NCR won't be able to call of help now"

"Right. So do we go loud?" Dallas asked

"Yes. But watch out for troopers holding flare guns. If one manages to fire a flare, we have some serious shit in our hands"

"So we just have to make sure no one fires a flare"

"Basically, yes"

"Let's give em hell then"

"Right. I'll take out the guards by watchtowers. After you hear the shots, let loose"

"Gotcha"

"Right" Ellie replied as she sneaks towards her vantage point

"Ellie"

"Huh?"

"Godspeed"

"Dallas… Right!"

It did not take long for Ellie to take her position at the Main Hall's roof.

"Alright. Time to raise some hell" she muttered as she readies her M-14 EBR

As she was about to pull the trigger, a sudden headache strikes her. Ellie resists the urge to scream as it would compromise her and her comrades.

"Naughty. Naughty" said a familiar voice

"Gerard…" Ellie muttered with contempt

"Now why do you have to do that? Helping the rebels despite the fact that they've already turned their backs on you"

"Fuck off, Gerard. I'm busy"

"Unfortunately it doesn't work like that, my lady. I can't have you doing whatever you please"

"Really now? You think a simple headache could stop me?"

"Are you sure that this is a simple headache?" the man said with a sinister smile

Seconds later, Ellie is bombarded with a much more painful headache, causing her to lie down and endure the pain, resisting the urge to scream.

"There are still holes in your memories…" Gerard said

"Holes…?" Ellie muttered as she continues to endure the pain

"Anyway. I suggest you disengage lest you feel more pain"

As the pain intensifies, Ellie couldn't help but grin. "You know what's funny, Gerard?"

"What?"

"The human brain is easy to fool"

"What are you-?"

Without saying a word, Ellie flicks her right wrist and repeatedly stabs her right leg.

"What are you doing?!"

"Putting my theory to the test!" she muttered as she stabs her left shoulder

* * *

Meanwhile:

"Stabbing yourself to divert attention…" Gerard muttered as he stares at the computer monitors showing Ellie's vital signs "… I guess that's enough for today. Shut down the transmission"

"Yes sir" one of the men said as he tinkers with the terminal in front of him

As the transmission is shut down, Gerard couldn't help but crack a smile. "You're growing"

* * *

"Good riddance" Ellie said as Gerard disappears "Still… Never thought it would work"

Despite being heavily injured, Ellie aims her rifle at the trooper by the watchtower.

Not long after, she fires two shots, neutralizing the two guards and prompting the rest of the men to attack.

While the rest attack the NCR troopers, Ellie checks on her wounds which quickly healed, almost as if there was never any wound to begin with…

"Looks like the serum's wearing off…" she uttered as she stares at her left arm "Back to work then"

The base quickly fell in a matter of minutes. Not a single NCR trooper managed to escape.

 **Republic of Dave; Main Hall**

 **10:03pm:**

"Base is secured" Dallas said "We also managed to capture the enemy ordinance in this place"

"How many did we capture?" Ellie asked

"4 Howitzers, 6 Buggies, and 3 APCs"

"Wow… That's a lot"

"We also got some pre-War mortars. Looks like the NCR was really planning on bombing our men to hell"

"Nice one. So when's the attack?"

"Tomorrow. 7am"

"Early in the morning eh… So these guys are staying here to man the base?"

"Yep. I'll contact Jack. I think these vehicles would significantly increase our firepower in the final battle"

"Good idea. I'll be resting in the soldier quarters then"

"Alright. I'll swing by at around 5am"

"Right. See you later"

 **Mason Dixon Salvage; Sons of Liberty Forward Operating Base**

 **The next day (6:25am):**

"Well. Well." Ellie muttered as she scours the base with her binoculars "Command really wants to end this huh…"

"Yup" Dallas replied "Most of the regiments are already positioned in the areas around Raven Rock"

"What's their plan?"

"Honestly. I don't think there is a plan. For some god-forsaken reason, the commanders all decided a frontal charge from here, Fort Contantine, and Dickerson Tabernacle Chapel would be enough to take that fort"

"What?"

"I also had the same reaction when I got the intel"

"What the fuck is going on with high command?"

"Dunno. They must really want this war to end"

"You think something may be at work here?"

Dallas ponders to herself for a moment.

"Dallas?"

"It's nothing. I don't think anything's happening in high command yet. What matters now is the mission at hand. We can't waste anymore time. The attack's gonna begin soon!"

"Right. So what's the gameplan?"

"Alright. We sneak through an opening in the southeastern section of the base. Marina should be in that barracks"

"Where?"

"The…uh… building made from salvaged material. Northwestern side of the camp. On another note, I find it weird that the base has a lot of security gaps, even in the area where Marina is supposed to be"

Ellie then points towards the coordinates, to which Dallas nods. "Well good for us, I guess. Let's get going!"

Everything went smoothly up until the confrontation at the barracks…

 **Makeshift Barracks;**

 **7 minutes to final assault:**

Managing to sneak past the guards, Ellie and Dallas prepare to break open the door to the Barracks.

"Ready?" Dallas asked as she leans on one side of the door

Ellie nods as she cocks her pistol

Dallas then kicks open the door as both soldiers enter the room and point their weapons at the lone individual in the room.

"Marina!" Ellie uttered as the sniper turns around

"Ellie? Dallas?" the sniper replied with a confused face "What's going on here?"

"Marina…"

"Ellie? Why are you two pointing your guns at me?"

"Drop the act, Marina!" Dallas retorted "We know who you truly are!"

"Who I truly am? What are you talking about?"

"You can feign ignorance all you want but there's no denying on all the shit that you did!"

"Shit that I did? What are you talking about?"

"Marina…" Ellie said "…The targets you had me kill… Every single one of them didn't fit the description you gave… Is it true? Did you give me false information?"

"Ellie, I-"

"Did you give me FALSE information?!"

Marina let out a disappointed sigh. "I guess my cover is blown…"

"So the people I killed…"

"That's right. I had you kill certain 'obstacles' that were in my way"

"Obstacles?"

"Hmmm… Dallas. You haven't told her yet haven't you?"

"Told me what?"

Marina grins as she lights up a cigarette with a flip lighter. "The true nature of this conflict"

"True nature?"

"But I think it's not my place to tell you" Marina replied as she opens the opposite end of her flip lighter "For now, let's have some fun!"

Before the duo could fire their weapons, two explosions erupted on Ellie's right and Dallas' left, disorienting the two.

Marina then lunges at Dallas who attempts to retaliate but the sniper manages to grip the former medic's neck and begins to choke the life out of her.

"Dallas!" Ellie shouted as she recovers from her daze

Marina quickly lets go of Dallas and jumps back as she engages Ellie in close combat.

"Why Marina?!" Ellie shouted as she attempts several kicks and punches

"Why?" the sniper replied as she parries every attack "Believe it or not, I'm actually doing it for you"

"For me?! What the fuck are you talking about?!" Ellie shouted as she attempts to punch the sniper's face

"Yes" Marina replied as she grabs Ellie's fist and twists her arm, effectively placing her on a disadvantage "Everything I do is for you and 'them'"

"Them?!" Ellie uttered as she struggles to break free "You, Dallas, everyone! You all keep on mentioning 'them'! Who are 'they'?!"

Marina grins as she forces Ellie to her knees while maintaining her hold on her arm. "Pity. Looks like that old bastard back in the vault in Carolina didn't actually unlock all of your memories!"

"What?"

"I guess that adds one more target in our list"

"Over my dead body!" Dallas shouted as she attacks the sniper, who promptly parries all of her attacks with her right hand.

Using the momentary distraction, Ellie spins her arms and body around, eventually enabling her to free herself from Marina's grip.

Ellie flicks her wrist and attempts to stab Marina but the sniper manages to redirect the mercenary and medic's right arm, forming a cross. Marina then punches Dallas' face, disorienting her. Marina then draws her .45 pistol and shoots the medic in the chest.

"Marina!" Ellie shouts as lunges towards the sniper "Goddamn it! Why?! Why are you doing this?!"

"All will be explained in due time, my dear"

It did not take long for the sniper to get the upper hand as she manages to throw the mercenary to the ground.

"Damn it…" she muttered as she attempts to stand up

"Sad… Looks like your precious FEV isn't all that" the sniper uttered as she steps on Ellie's back "I wonder… Will killing you be actually beneficial to our plans?"

"What?"

"Or maybe, I should round up the rest and make you watch them die. Slowly and painfully…"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Would I?"

"Marina! How can you say all this shit?! Did all those times we fought together in the battlefield mean anything to you?!"

Marina gives a blank expression as she stares at a distressed Ellie. "No"

Ellie is the overcome by anger as she attempts to stand up but the sniper continues to hinder her.

"Stay down already" the sniper said "You can't win this"

"You… You're gonna pay for this…"

"Oooh… Big words… But can you back it up with some backbone?"

"Try me!"

Ellie quickly gets back on her feet and resumes her assault on the sniper. Once again, the sniper has no difficulty in parrying every attack the mercenary attempts to land.

"Give it up already…" she said "… I know how you fight, Ellie. You're kind of an open book"

"Really now?" the mercenary replied "You think you know every trick I'll try on you?"

As the duo continue their fight, Marina notices Ellie's attacks growing fiercer and faster.

"What?!" she uttered as she notices the mercenary's eyes turning yellow "It can't be!"

Marina quickly forms a cross with her arms, blocking Ellie's right blade but struggles to push it away.

"Where did your strength come from?!" she uttered

"You think you understand how my FEV works? You don't know shit!"

Ellie then adds more force as her blade nears Marina's throat, who struggles to keep the blade at a distance.

"Rest in peace you son of a bitch!" Ellie uttered as she flicks her left arm and stabs Marina on her right. As the sniper collapses from the pain, Ellie runs her blade through the sniper's throat. "Game over"

"G-Game O-over…?" Marina uttered as she coughs out some blood "M-Maybe you're right…"

"Marina…"

"Tell me something… Despite our fight being obviously loud, why didn't a single rebel soldier come to investigate?"

"What?"

As Ellie ponders on the meaning behind Marina's words, the base's alarm echoes throughout the base.

"Game over indeed…" Marina uttered as she gives a confident smile before coughing more blood

"Marina! What the hell is going on?!"

The sniper slowly closed her eyes as she slowly succumbed to her wounds. "Plan B…"

"Marina! Goddamn it!"

"Dallas!" the mercenary uttered as she checks on the medic "You ok?"

"I'm fine. That bullet missed my vital organs but I'm still in pretty bad shape…"

"Hold on. Let me give you a stimpak"

"So the works done?"

"Yeah but we have another problem"

As Ellie finishes patching Dallas up, the earth shakes around them.

"What the hell was that?!" Dallas said as Ellie helps her up

As they exit the barracks, Ellie notices a distinct color falling from the sky.

"Oh shit…" she uttered "Artillery!"

As if on que, the artillery shells lands a direct hit on a group of rebel soldiers, scrambling to defend the base.

"Dallas. You stay in the barracks and-"

"I can still fight!"

"You sure?"

"Yeah! Don't go chalking me out of this yet!"

"Alright!"

Ellie then activates her eagle vision and scours the base.

"How the fuck did the NCR manage to reach this far in without anyone noticing?!" Ellie uttered as she and Dallas head towards the ensuing battle

"Hold your ground men!" Paladin Vasquez shouts as he throws several EMP grenades

"Stealth suits!" Ellie remarked

"There's your answer. They must've snuck in around the time were infiltrating or fighting Marina! So what's the plan?"

"I provide overwatch! You get down there and support Vasquez!"

"Right!"

As Dallas runs towards Vasquez's position, Ellie, with her M-14 EBR, snipes several enemy soldiers with deadly accuracy.

She then hears a familiar sound in the distance. "Like a firecracker about to explode…" she remarked as she realizes what she had heard.

A mortar shell detonates near her, sending her flying straight into a makeshift wall.

"Damn… That took me by surprise…" she said as she checks on her wounds, that immediately heal

Ellie smiles and grips her fist as she says "Hell yeah!"

 **Meanwhile:**

In the metal corridors of the Citadel, the rebel leaders meet up to talk about the recent set of events.

"What the fuck happened?!" Laren said as he slams his fist on the table

"All three camps were suddenly attacked by NCR troops wearing stealth suits. Supported by enemy artillery" Senora replied

"Damage report" Elder Lyons said

"Based on the information Paladin Vasquez sent us" Red answered "We've lost hundreds of men and now, there's about two companies of NCR troops preparing to attack our central basecamp at Mason Dixon Salvage"

"Why only there?"

"My guess is" Johannes replied "They plan to cut off the other two camps from our supply lines"

"What is the status of the central camp?"

"They managed to repel the initial assault" Red answered "Thanks to the help of former Pride members, Dallas… and Ellie"

Hearing her name, many of the leaders spouted "Ellie?!" at the same time

"The spy?!" Senora remarked

"I still don't think she's a spy" Red replied

"But the evidence does show otherwise…" Johannes answered

"No" Jack interrupted

"What?"

"You're wrong Johannes. Ellie is not the spy"

"What do you mean?"

Jack then smiles as he puts a holotape on the table

* * *

 **Mason Dixon Salvage**

 **3 hours later:**

The camp was in shambles as bodies of both rebel and NCR troops littered the base and the smell of gunpowder and burnt corpses flowed throughout.

Paladin Vasquez approaches Ellie with a squad of rebel soldiers behind him.

"Gonna arrest me?" Ellie uttered

"No. I'd like to thank you for helping us and I also want to extend to you my apologies for ever believing those lies… I never thought Marina would be the true spy…"

"Well… I never thought she'd be the spy either…"

"True but…"

"It's ok, Paladin. Besides, I think we should be more worried about what to do with the NCR battalion that's gonna attack in a few minutes…"

"You're right… They asked for our surrender… It already been half an hour since then… They'll most likely be needing an answer soon…"

"So what is your answer?"

"Honestly, I want to keep fighting but the devastation is just too much and morale is dangerously low…"

"Low?"

"Yes… Up until that attack, many of the soldiers openly believed that they now have a fighting chance against the NCR but now, they're seeing the failure at the purifier once again…"

"The purifier…"

"Gather all your men, Paladin"

"What do you plan to do?"

Ellie simply gives the Paladin a confident smile.

 **A few minutes later:**

Every rebel soldier in the base gathers around Ellie, their faces filled with despair…

"Damn…" Dallas remarked "… You can see the hopelessness from a mile away…"

"I know…" Ellie replied as she looked at the distraught faces of the rebels "But we can't let it get the better of us"

Ellie then stand at the top of a derelict pre-war truck as she begins her speech

* * *

Everyone! The NCR has dealt a very painful blow to us today!

But are you gonna let that get the better of us?!

Are you just gonna roll over and surrender?!

Are you all that weak?!

Do you have the guts to call yourselves Sons of Liberty or freedom fighters if you go through with this?!

NO! I, for one, don't believe that this is a hopeless situation! I say we stand our ground!

Will we let this end like with the purifier?! Will we lose to the NCR again?!

Besides, there are two other camps that are trapped like us! If we run, they die, will any of you be able to live with that?!

I refuse to lose to them like this! I refuse to turn around and run, sacrificing the lives of countless people! If I am to die, then there's no better way to die than fighting for what you believe in!

Although, I can't force all of you to stay!

Now, I ask you this question. Are you as ferocious as a Yao Guai or as timid as a Brahmin?!

Because I am undoubtedly as ferocious as a Yao Guai! What about the rest of you?

* * *

As Ellie finishes her speech, the rebel soldier look at one another as they ponder on their choices.

"What do you think the outcome will be?" Paladin Vasquez asked

"I'm not so sure…" Dallas answered "… That speech wasn't really that convincing…"

"She's not that charismatic" Vasquez replied "But the words she used may just be enough to inspire at least a few people"

"I hope so…"

"Alright" Ellie said "To those who say they're like Yao Guai, step forward! The rest of you, get out while you still can…"

A few minutes pass and the rebels still have yet to make a decision.

Then, a lone rebel cocks his rifle and steps forward.

"What's your name?" Ellie asked

"Christian! The rebel said as he gives the mercenary a salute "I decided to stay and fight!"

"Why?"

"B-Because the NCR has done enough damage to the Capital Wasteland! If we continue to be afraid of them, they'll just keep on stomping us! It's time that we show them that we are not weak!"

"Good answer. Anyone else?"

As if following the rebel's example, the rest of the soldiers stepped forward.

Seeing the unanimous support she has garnered, Ellie couldn't help but smile and raise her rifle in the air. "Let's show those NCR bastards what the Sons of Liberty can do!"

"URA!" everyone shouted

"Well I'll be…" Paladin Vasquez remarked "She actually managed to get everyone's support"

Dallas didn't utter a word but she did give a smile.

With Ellie's speech over, Paladin Vasquez steps on top of the truck. "It has been an honor serving with all of you! You are all brave men and women of not only the Sons of Liberty but also the Brotherhood of Steel! Now then, let's get those defenses ready! We don't want to keep our guests waiting!"

"Yeah!" the rebels shouted as they scrambled to prepared the camp's defenses

"Quite impressive" Dallas said as she approaches Ellie "Never thought you had it in you"

"Well I just said what was in my head, actually" the mercenary replied

"Still, it gave us results…"

"Yeah…"

"But do you think a force of 103 rebels could stop two battalions of highly armed and highly trained NCR troops?"

"I believe so…"

"You're optimistic"

"Dallas. Have you ever heard of the Vietnam War?

"Vietnam War?"

"It was a war America participated in a few hundred years back. Back then, America was the technologically superior army. They fought against an enemy that didn't have much tech or maybe even numbers. But America lost that war…"

"How?"

"Tactics…"

"Tactics?"

"These rebels may be regular foot soldiers but with the right tactician, right discipline, and proper execution, can attain victory against even the toughest armies"

"Do you have plan?"

"I have some brewing in my head…"

"Well then, let's hope execution goes smoothly then"

Ellie turns to Dallas, giving her a confident smile, as she cocks her M-14. "I won't hope that it goes smoothly. I know it will!"


	32. Culmination

"We got wounded!" Ellie shouted as her voice echoes through the ears of a shell-shocked soldier.

"Another one?!" Dallas shouted as Ellie drags the wounded rebel into a trench "We only have so much medical equipment!"

"I know! Do everything you can to keep him alive!"

"Shit… At this rate, we'll run out of medical supplies before they even breach the line!"

"Ellie!" Paladin Vasquez shouted as he approaches the mercenary "We're losing ground! NCR troops are closing in!"

"Shit! How's the surprise coming?"

"We're still not ready! And even if we finish now, we'll have to cross on open terrain before reaching the 2nd line!"

"Any word on reinforcements?"

"They were mobilized but I also received reports of enemy attacks in Big Town, Girdershade, and Canterbury Commons. I'm guessing that we're spread out thin!"

"Just our luck… We have no choice but to take the risk, we'll be taking loses but we can't do anything about it… How many operational power armors do we have?"

"I have three T-51s ready for action, mine included!"

"That's it?"

"Unfortunately"

Just then, a mortar shell hits the area in front of the two.

"Then they'll be depending on you three to provide cover!" Ellie shouted as she traverses through the trench "Reinforce the western side of the trench! Once the engineers are done, fall back to the end of the line!"

"Don't get killed out there!" Paladin Vasquez replied as he goes to his objective

As she reaches the frontlines, Ellie spots several injured rebels, struggling to keep the enemy troops at bay. "How are the preparations?"

"Ma'am!" a soldier replied as he arms a claymore and C4 "We're almost done on this end!"

"Alright! Be ready to run up the trenches and move to the 2nd line! Keep your heads down and run as fast as you can!"

"Yes ma'am!"

Ellie then approaches another rebel soldier, inside a hastily built foxhole.

"What's the status?"

"They're closing in fast!" a rebel replied as he fires a short burst from his rifle "Enemy mortars are getting more and more accurate! We can't stay he-"

But before the soldier could finish his sentence, a frag grenade detonates nearby, sending the two flying.

Quickly recovering, Ellie goes to check on the rebel, who was covering his face with both hands and was screaming in pain.

"Fuck!" she shouted as she calls for two other rebels to approach her "He's wounded! Get him out of here now!"

"Yes ma'am!"

As the rebels drag the wounded man off the frontlines, Ellie picks up her radio and begins to transmit to the remaining rebels on the frontlines. "All unit! This is lioness! Retreat to the back of the line! Be ready to run to the 2nd trench! Keep your heads low and run as fast as you can! Engineers! Once the surprise is set, give me the detonator and run! I'll handle the surprise! Does everyone copy that?"

"Raven leader copies!"

"Talons acknowledged!"

"This is Big Boys! We read ya loud and clear!"

Ellie then picks up a mounted M249 and digs herself into the foxhole.

A few minutes later, a rebel approaches the mercenary as she continues to fire the machinegun.

"Ma'am!" the rebel said as he hands her the detonator "We're in your hands!"

"Then it's in safe hands!" Ellie said as she picks up her radio "All units. Give me a status report once all the squads have crossed to the 2nd line!"

"Ellie!" Dallas said over the radio "We have a problem!"

"What kind of problem?"

"There's too many injured! It'll take some time to transport them! And I don't think we can survive going back and forth! The T-51s aren't enough to give us enough cover to retreat!"

"Mother of shit!" Ellie said as she inspects her armguards, flicking both wrists "Dallas. I'm gonna go in and stir hell"

"Don't even think about it! Even your FEV can't protect you from that much firepower!"

"What choice do we have?!"

Just as Ellie said that, a voice echoes through her radio. "Lioness. Do you copy?"

"This is lioness! Who is this?"

"This is Hawk. I got two vertibirds waiting on your command"

"Vertibirds? About fucking time backup arrives!"

"Be advised, the other squads are fighting on the other fronts. We're all that you've got"

"Then we'll just have to make it count! I need you to provide cover fire directly in front of the base!"

"Acknowledged. Hawk inbound! ETA 2 minutes"

"Finally some good news… All units! We have two vertibirds incoming! They'll be providing cover fire in two minutes! Be ready to move by then! No one gets left behind, understand?"

"Yes ma'am!" everyone responded

It didn't take long for Hawk's voice to echo once again in the radio.

"Lioness. This is Hawk. We're coming in hot!"

"You're cleared hot, Hawk! Give these them hell!"

Meanwhile, in the other end of the trench, Dallas and the other rebels await the arrival of the vertibirds.

"I hear them!" Dallas said as two vertibirds fly overhead "That's them! Move the wounded! Move! Move!"

Almost immediately, the rebels begin to dash through the seemingly long open terrain to the 2nd trench line.

"Careful" Dallas said as two rebels load a wounded man onto a makeshift stretcher "He's secured? Alright, let's move!"

Dallas, carrying the stretcher along with another rebel, emerges from the trench and dashes through the field

"Make sure the enemy keeps ducking!" Paladin Vasquez said as he and two other rebels in T-51 power armor rev up their miniguns

As the vertibirds begin to provide cover, Ellie quickly gets to her feet and goes to the other end of the trench as several squads of troopers begin entering the trench.

"Prioritizing anti-air threats" Hawk said over the radio "Damn that was close!"

A few minute later, Ellie reached the end of the trench line as the rebels were getting ready to transport the last wounded soldier.

As they finish loading him in the stretcher, they quickly made their way to the 2nd line

But as they were half way through, a bullet hits one of them in the lower back, causing him to trip and fall

Ellie quickly runs to their side.

"How are you holding up?" she asked

"I… I can't feel my legs… I can't feel my LEGS!" the rebel replied as he begins to panic

Ellie slaps him in the face. "Calm down! You're gonna make it, you hear me!"

She then points to the other rebel, who only suffered a bullet wound to the left shoulder.

"You! Can you carry him?"

"Y-Yes ma'am"

"Then do it! I got the injured man!"

The rebel then uses his right shoulder to support the other wounded rebel as Vasquez commands one of the T-51s to act as a shield for the two.

Ellie then proceeds to check on the injured man on the stretcher.

"Gunshot wound to the stomach… Risky but I have no choice. Fireman carry"

Ellie then picks up the man and quickly runs as fast as she could to the 2nd line.

She succeeds in safely transporting the injured man to the 2nd line as the last few rebels make it as well.

"Hawk" she said over the radio "What's the status of the enemy troops?"

"They've just breached the 1st trench line. I'm retreating to the 2nd trench too. It's getting too hot in here"

"Have they reached the other end?"

"Hold on… Yes. They've reached the other end!"

"How many enemy troops are in there?"

"I'm estimating around 7 squads worth of troops"

"Perfect"

Ellie then brings out her detonator. "Requiescat im pace"

Activating the detonator, several large explosions occur in and around the 1st trench, annihilating the NCR troops in the area.

"Hawk" Ellie said "What's the status of the enemy troops?"

"Total devastation, ma'am. They're in full retreat! I say again, they're in full retreat!"

Upon hearing Hawk's transmission, the rebels cheer.

 **SatCom Array NW-05a; Command Room**

 **An hour later:**

Gen. Alexander and another officer discuss plans about the battle

"It's been an hour" the general said as he checks the battlefield map on the table "What's the status on the Salvage?"

"Sir" the officer answered "We lost almost an entire division when the rebels detonated hidden explosives on the 1st trench line"

"Clever little bastards…"

"General, once again, I suggest we use the 'weapon' General Oliver-"

The General quickly cuts the officer off with a "No!"

"But sir! We've suffered heavy casualties! We cannot afford anymore! I strongly suggest we use the 'weapon'"

"I know. Tell me, Colonel. What do you think keeps these rebels going?"

"What?"

"Despite their very hopeless situation, why did they choose to stand their ground?"

Unable to comprehend the general's remark, the officer did not respond to his question

"Guts, Colonel" The General responded as he faces the bewildered officer "These men and women have a lot of guts. In other words, courage"

"What?"

"Facing off against almost impossible odds and even being able to wound the bigger beast… Now that is how you fight a war"

"Sir it sounds like you respect those rebels…"

"What's not to respect? These people, despite overwhelming odds, still choose to protect everything they love and believe. That is something in short supply around the wasteland these days…"

"What?"

"But they have it and they deserve respect. So I won't be insulting their courage by sending WMDs on them! I will fight and it WILL be a fair fight! So for the LAST time, Colonel. I WILL NOT USE IT!"

"Is that your final decision sir?"

"Yes. If you don't mind, I want to go back to planning our next move"

"Now we see your true colors"

The General slowly turns to his right as he sees the barrel of a 9mm pistol pointed directly to his face. "Well. Well. What do you think you're doing, Colonel?"

Looking around the room, Alexander notices several NCR troopers pointing their weapons on some of his men.

"Sir" the officer said "Based on your recent actions and earlier statement on the rebels, I have no other choice but to conclude that you are collaborating with them"

"You high or something? Cuz that logic is a load of crap"

"I have no other choice other than to relieved you of your command, 'General'"

"And who's taking over? You?"

"As a matter of fact, I will"

"Really now? And what idiot put you up to this?"

"You know as well as I do that General Oliver does not like traitors in his ranks"

"Oliver…" the General said as he chuckled and rested his right hand on his forehead "That fucker… Don't you realize the repercussions of using it on them?! Our image is already so dark! Your pussy of a general doesn't realize that! Can't you?!"

"Say all you want, 'sir'. But that doesn't erase your betrayal"

"Betrayal?! I've worked my ass off to help win this fucking war! Don't you dare insult me by saying I'm betraying the NCR! Everything I did, I did for the republic!"

"You think General Oliver won't catch on to the things you've been doing? The times you allowed our territories to be taken. The countless 'escapes' of several POWs. And just now, your total disregard to the lives of your own men"

The General chuckles as the officer continues to point out his 'crimes'. "I guess Oliver isn't a complete idiot after all"

"So you do admit to all these crimes"

"Crimes? I wouldn't call them crimes, 'Colonel'. But I don't expect someone like you to understand"

"Well that is your opinion, 'General'… Now step aside and let the REAL commanders win this war"

"You'll regret this. You, your idiot general, and every fucker that follows him!"

The officer smirks as two NCR troopers grab the general's arms. "Take him away"

 **Mason Dixon Salvage:**

"Make sure that MG is secured!" Ellie said as she directs the rebel defenses "Make sure those foxholes are deep!"

"Looks like the defenses are coming around…" Paladin Vasquez said as he and Dallas approaches the mercenary

"Paladin. What's the status on HQ?"

"They just dropped off a few squads here but I don't think two vertibirds is enough to keep us protected for long"

"What about the guys in the Republic of Dave?"

"They're on their way" Dallas replied "But looks like they ran into some trouble. Currently, their fighting their way to the frontlines"

"What?"

"Looks like the NCR caught on to our ruse much faster than we thought…"

"Shit… So this is all we have?"

"Pretty much… Unless you want the injured to go back into the fight"

"Shit… I guess we have to make do with what we have…"

As the three continue to discuss plans for their defense, a lone rebel comes running towards them, his face drenched with sweat.

"Paladin Vasquez! Paladin Vasquez!"

"What is-" Paladin Vasquez said as he hears the familiar sound of a vertibird "Steel be with us… Here comes the 2nd wave!"

"Alright! Here they come!" Ellie shouted as the rebels scramble to their positions "Let's show these bastards that we're not so easy to step on!"

In a matter of seconds, the rebels ready their weapons as the vertibirds emerge from the horizon…

Using her binoculars, Ellie notices something odd…

"4 vertibirds…" she uttered "Each carrying metal containers… Big metal containers…"

Anxiety filled the air as some of the rebels cock their guns. Ellie couldn't help but feel something is wrong…

"Wait…" she said as the vertibirds stop in the middle of the 1st trench "Why are they stopping…? They're still a couple of miles aways…"

Quickly dropping the metal containers, the vertibirds left the area…

"The fuck…?" Dallas muttered as the rebels look at one another…

As the rebels stare at the containers in confusion, the metal doors suddenly spring open.

Seconds later, hordes of feral ghouls, some with several appendages sticking on their backs, emerge from the containers.

Recognizing the ghouls, Ellie's eyes widen as she aims her M-14. "FERALS!"

"OPEN FIRE!" Paladin Vasquez shouts as the rebels unload their weapons upon the incoming horde

Despite thousands of bullets piercing through the horde, as well as support fire from the two vertibirds, less than ten ghouls were gunned down before the first group breached the defensive line.

With the line breached, the ghouls began to decimate the rebel ranks as many soldiers were cut down.

"Where the hell did the NCR get this many ghouls?!" Ellie shouted as she uses her rifle to block an attack from a ghoul

"I think we have other things to worry about!" Dallas responded as she dodges several strikes from several ghouls

"Get everyone in Power Armor out here!" Paladin Vasquez shouted as 3 T-45s and the 2 T-51s enter the frontlines "Everyone else retreat to the 3rd defensive line!"

Following Vasquez's command, the rebels retreat to the next defensive line as Ellie, Vasquez, and the soldiers wearing power armor cover their retreat

But even the power armor could not protect the rebels.

Suddenly, several ghouls surround and attack a lone rebel soldier, in T-45 power armor.

The soldier manages to gun down a few ghouls before being overwhelmed by the mutants. The appendages on their backs made the T-45's armor look like paper by comparison as they easily tear through the armor.

"Shit!" Paladin Vasquez said as he attempts to shoot the ghouls but is unable to do so as more ghouls attack him

Horrified by the sight, Ellie reaches into her pocket and brings out a syringe. Hesitating for a moment, Ellie injects it on herself. A rush of energy suddenly flows throughout the mercenary's body as she runs towards the distressed soldier.

She literally tears through several ghouls with her bare hands.

After eliminate the ghouls around the power armor, Ellie tears through the armor and finds the rebel, alive but severely injured.

"Dallas!" she shouted as the medic runs to her side "Bring him out of here!"

"Give me some time to dress the wound or else he'll bleed out"

As Dallas dresses the man's wounds, Ellie, Vasquez, and the remaining soldiers in power armor provide cover fire as more ghouls enter their line of sight.

"Do we have enough bombs on the 2nd line?!" Ellie shouted

"No!" Paladin Vasquez replied "We couldn't place all of em in time! Only a hand full was successfully armed!"

"Then we have no other choice! We use what we can!"

"I'm done!" Dallas said as she picks up the injured man and carries him to the 3rd line

"Alright people, let's go!" Ellie shouted as she and the remaining rebels retreat to the next defensive line.

Upon clearing the area, Vasquez pulls out a detonator.

Seconds later, the front of Mason Dixon Salvage is consumed by fire and smoke…

"That should buy us some time…" he muttered

"Shit…" Dallas said as she checks on the man's injuries "We're running out of medical supplies and…"

As Dallas meets Ellie's gaze, her eyes widen. "Ellie… Your eyes!"

"I know…" Ellie said as she knew her eyes had changed color and became more cat-like "I had no choice…"

"Fuck… You don't know what's gonna happen if you keep on releasing the inhibitors for your FEV!"

"I know! But the situation's demanding it!"

"Ellie!" Paladin Vasquez said as Ellie returns to the frontlines

"What is it?" Ellie asked as she enters a foxhole

"The minefield only bought us a few minutes! We're spotting another horde incoming!"

"Shit…"

"Should we retreat?"

"Even if we do try to retreat, those ghouls will easily catch up to us… And we don't have enough vehicles to carry everyone…"

"So we stay and fight…?"

"Yeah… Either way, we're all gonna die…"

"Well… I guess dying in the glory of battle is a much better death than getting stabbed in the back while running away"

"Paladin…"

"It was an honor serving with everyone here… And I would like to take this opportunity to thank you"

"Huh?"

"You helped create this rebellion, this hope… We may die but we die with honor!"

"Right!"

"Steel be with you!"

"Steel be with you…"

As another horde approaches the rebel base, Ellie hears the familiar engines of vertibirds. "Shit… Looks like they're coming to clean up…"

Seconds later, 4 vertibirds emerge from the horizon and overtake the horde. They stop just near the 3rd defensive line.

"This is Hawk. Engaging enemy vertibirds"

Clearly seeing the NCR insignia, the rebels prepare themselves for a battle. A lone soldier then rappels down one of the vertibirds.

"Wait!" Ellie uttered as she recognizes one of the soldiers "Rufus…"

She then stands up and, while aiming her gun, walks slowly to the NCR soldiers.

"Rufus!" she shouted "I never thought you guys would be this dirty!"

"I know…" the NCR Ranger replied "Also, it's good to see you again, Ellie"

"Shut up! What's your fucking game?"

"I'll explain everything later. For now, I think you guys need some help"

"What?"

"It's ok, Ellie" Polonsky shouted as he lands behind Ellie "They're here to help"

"Polonsky?!"

Rufus gives a confident smile as he brings out a radio. "Clover. Jericho. You know what to do"

The vertibird on top of Ellie then moves towards the approaching horde and two NCR Rangers rappel down the open battlefield.

The female ranger then draws two cutlasses and charges towards the horde.

To Ellie's amazement, the female ranger easily cuts through the ghouls as she demonstrates superior skill in the use of her weapons.

"No way…" she said as she sees the female ranger parry and dodge every attack and easily cuts through the numerous ghouls that were attacking her.

"Trained her myself…" Rufus boasted as he chuckles

The Male ranger then draws an Intervention and began to provide sniper support, gunning down several ghouls with headshots.

Minutes later, a few ghouls managed to reach the ranger. Slinging his rifle, the ranger puts on a boxer stance, with Ellie noticing the ranger's yellow gauntlets.

As the first ghoul was about the strike the ranger with its appendage, the man blocks it with his left gauntlet and punches the ghoul's face.

Despite the ghoul hardly flinching, the man maintains to aim his right arm on the ghoul's face.

As the ghoul stares at the gauntlet, a bullet emerges from a hidden port on the gauntlet and cuts through the ghoul's skull.

He then unleashes a combo of boxing moves, coupled with shots from his hidden gun.

"Whoah…" Ellie said as she watches the man decimate the ghouls that were attempting to surround him

"Hate to burst your bubble" Paladin Vasquez said as he approaches Ellie "But despite their efforts, some of the ghouls are still headed this way"

"Right" Rufus said with a smile "Polonsky. I think it's time for the other surprise"

"Other surprise?" Ellie wondered as Polonsky brings out his radio

"It's show time" Polosnky said as the remaining vertibirds moved a short distance from the base and several men in T-51 and T-60 power armor, one of which has a different design than the rest, unload from them.

"Power armor isn't enough to protect you from these bastards" Ellie said

"Of course" Rufus replied "Power Armor is never enough to protect you from anything unless you know how to use it"

"What?"

Rufus, once again, brings out his radio. "Jayce, Sithis. Show them how to correctly operate power armor"

"Sithis?! Jayce?!" Ellie uttered as she heard their names

"Been a while" Sithis said over the radio "Good to see you're alive and well, Ellie"

"Sithis… What the fuck is going on here?!"

"Like I said" Rufus responded "We'll explain everything once we're done mopping up this mess!"

Dumbfounded, Ellie could only utter "Right…"

As the unexpected reinforcements begins to assault the horde, Ellie signals the rebels to regroup on the first defensive line.

Minutes later, she approaches Jayce, who was wearing a peculiar power armor.

"That's an odd design…" Ellie remarked

"I know right?" Jayce answered "I found this power armor in an abandoned military base in Carolina"

"Wow…" Ellie said as she notices some writing on the back "… 'The Emperor's light is my torch'… The fuck does that mean..?"

"No idea. But it sounds awesome!"

"Right…"

"Anyway, what's going on here? Why are you with the Rangers?"

"Well it's a long story. So let's wrap up this mess before proceeding!"

"Alright"

 **SatCom Array NW-05a; Command Room**

"Give me a status report" The NCR Officer said as an Intel officer approaches him

"Sir" the Intel Officer said "We've received reports that the weapons have been destroyed"

"What?! How is that possible?! Those rebels have never faced those kinds of ghouls before!"

"We reports that 4 of our vertibirds were spotted giving fire support to the rebels"

"What? From what division? Who's leading them?"

"It's a Ranger Detachment. Their leader has yet to be identified"

"Fuck! What of the rebels?"

"They seem to have suffered heavy losses but they have since regrouped and are now threatening to reestablish contact with the other 2 camps"

"Damn it! Tighten security on the two remaining camps! DO NOT LET THEM FALL!"

"Yes sir!"

 **In a cliff behind the Satellite Facility (NCR Command Room):**

 **Later that night:**

Ellie, Polonsky, Dallas, Rufus, Jericho, and Chloe, all wearing hooded outfits, stand by a rocky cliff behind the Satellite Facility.

"Are you serious?" Ellie asked "We're saving a NCR general…"

"Don't forget who rescued your asses" Rufus responded "Besides, General Alexander never planned to use those weapons in the first place"

"Really? I call bullshit on that"

"General Alexander is a cunning tactician but he is a man of honor. He would never resort to cowardly tactics like that"

"Ellie" Polonsky said "That's enough. Rufus is telling the truth. We can get the Sons of Liberty within striking distance of Raven Rock if we rescue Alexander"

"Oh? And how is that gonna help us?"

"Trust me. It's all part of the plan"

"You guys still haven't told me shit about your plan"

"Now's not the time. We have to move now before the Raven Rock sends more of those walking pieces of shit on us!"

"Pfft… Fine. So what do we do?"

"The compound is tightly guarded" Rufus responded "Firstly, our objective is to free Alexander. He's being held in the storage tent just northeast of here"

"Wait couldn't you just walk around the camp yourself? You're a Ranger, aren't you?"

"Yeah but since I directly answer to Alexander, I was deemed a traitor too. So no, I can't just walk in there"

"Well that's helpful… How about the camp's security?"

"Thanks to our little diversion, the enemy commander just gave the order to redirect most of the troops to make sure you don't reestablish contact with the two camps"

"So the base has fewer guards"

"Exactly. All we gotta do is get Alexander out and take him to the command center. He'll do the rest from there"

"What makes you so sure that Alexander will cooperate?"

"You still doubt me?"

"Uh yeah…"

"Well I guess I can't blame you. Don't worry Alexander's been on the right side the entire time"

"Right side? The fuck does that mean?"

"Exactly how you hear it. He's been on the right side this whole time"

"What's the right side, then?"

"What do you think it is?"

"What?"

"We're on a tight schedule people!" Polonsky interrupted "Let's move!"

As he said that, Rufus does a leap of faith and lands on two unsuspecting NCR troopers. He quickly punches the first one in the face, knocking him out and proceeds to choke the other until he loses consciousness as the rest of the group follows him.

The group then sneaks through the camp, avoiding or neutralizing guards, as they made their way towards the storage tent, where Alexander was being kept.

Minutes later, they near their target.

Hiding behind a few boxes of ammunition and weaponry, Ellie scans the area with her eagle vision. "I detect 5 guarding the entrance to the tent, 2 patrolling around the tent, and one guy smoking in the corner on the right"

"Right then" Rufus said "Dallas. You take care of our little smoker in the corner. Jericho, Clover the two patrol guards. The rest will deal with the 5"

"Wait" Ellie interrupted "Who the hell gave you authority to order us around?"

"You got any better ideas then, 'lieutenant'?"

She stares at Rufus, who gives a confident smile. "Cocky bastard…"

Rufus chuckles as the others move to intercept their targets. "I'll take that as a complement"

Ellie then turns away from Rufus and uses her eagle vision to track Dallas' movements.

She quickly sneaks behind the NCR trooper and proceeds to choke him until he loses consciousness.

Looking to the left, Ellie tracks the movements of the other two, who hide behind a tent as the troopers walk past them.

The two then casually walk behind the troopers.

Jericho then taps one of the troopers in the shoulder.

As the soldier turns around, Jericho punches the man in the face, knocking him out.

Before the 2nd soldier could react, Clover lunges at him, knocking him to the ground, as she punches the trooper's face twice on both sides.

With the surrounding guards neutralized, the remaining three soldiers aim their armguards towards the 5 guards.

"Wait" Ellie said "We can't take em all out without alerting the camp!"

"I got that covered" Rufus answered

"What do you mean?"

"Just fire the damn darts!"

"Fine…"

Reluctantly following Rufus' orders, Ellie and the others fire their respective armguards, successfully knocking out 3 of the guards.

"Wait" Rufus said as he rests his right hand on Ellie's left armguard

"But-" she said as Rufus moves his face side-to-side

"Shit! We got intruders in the camp!" one of the guards said as he and the remaining guard raise their weapons.

"What's going on here?" Gusurg said as he emerges from the tent

"Sir!" the guard responded "We may have intruders! They just knocked out 3 of our men right in front of us! What should we do, sir?"

"Well…" Gusurg said as he extends both of his arm "… I think you should sleep"

"Sir?" the guard said before Gusurg grabs both of their heads and rams it on each other, knocking them out

"What the fuck?!" Ellie said as she sees what happened

Everyone then emerges from their respective hiding places and gather around Gusurg

"Ok" Ellie said as she stops in the middle "What the fuck is going on? I demand answers!"

"Ellie" Polonsky said "Now's not-"

"Fuck that! I'm tired of all the secrets and twists! I want fucking answers! NOW!"

"Alright" Rufus replied "Me, Gusurg, and Polonsky have been working together for some time now"

"Why?"

"Remember those recordings you got about the Lone Wanderer's adventures under the White House?"

"What of it?"

"We're looking for the artifacts hidden in those ruins and you're the key"

"I'm the key?"

"There are still holes in your memories… We intentionally restored only a few of your memories during your time at North Carolina"

"Why?"

"Because if you remembered everything" Dallas interrupted "You may have turned against us and force us to kill you"

"Remembered?"

"Steiner didn't restore everything" Polonsky answered "He only restored memories that he deemed 'harmless'"

"Harmless?"

"Basically, the NCR's recent actions" Rufus added "Their invasion of the east, the aggressive nature of their armies, all that shit. It's all manipulation. Someone inside the NCR is manipulating the leadership to do all this"

"Why? Because of some stupid artifact? I don't think an invasion would be necessary to get some artifacts"

"You don't remember the very nature of these artifacts… So you don't understand the logic behind all this manipulation"

"What the fuck are these artifacts anyway? Pre-war tech?"

Gusurg chuckled as he claps his hands 3 times. "Ah Ellie… Pre-war is a tiny stretch to describe these things. They predate even before human civilization. They're powerful and in the wrong hands, they can end the world"

"And you think you guys can correctly use it?"

"I believe so. But we have no plans in using them, just securing them so that they're in safe hands, away from greedy bastards like the ones backing the NCR"

"The Western Brotherhood?"

"If only they were the only faction we're dealing with right now… You can't even begin to comprehend the true nature of this conflict. So stop with the questions cuz we don't have time!"

"Ellie…" Rufus said "We're on a tight schedule. This is all we can give for now"

"Fine…"

"I promise. I'll give you the answers once we're done mopping this mess"

"… You better" Ellie said as the group resumes their mission

Entering the tent, the group finds Alexander tied to a chair.

"About damn time" he said "My legs were starting to give out on me…"

"Sorry we're late, general" Rufus responded

"Better late than never, I guess. Now then, untie me so I can get back at that backstabbing bitch!"

"So what now?" Ellie asked

"Basically, we storm the command center" Alexander answered "I'll do the rest from there"

 **Command Center:**

 **A few minutes later:**

The front door of the Satellite Facility breaks open as the group quickly enters the command center, only to find it empty.

"Where is everyone?" Ellie asked

"Keep your guard up" Alexander said "The black suits could be here"

"Black suits?"

"An elite unit" Rufus answered "They're a tier higher than the Rangers. Known for their Black Battle suits and ferocious fighting style. While the Rangers use guns, these bastards manage to pull off most of their mission barehanded"

"Whoah… Never heard of em"

"Then that means they're doing a great job… They're much deadlier than a ranger and the word 'mercy' doesn't exist in their vocabulary. Rumor has it that they've been physically enhanced"

"By what?"

"By your FEV strain"

"What?"

"Congratulations" Gusurg sarcastically said "Your research has reached great heights"

Ellie attempted to sucker punch Gusurg but the former trooper grabs Ellie's fist. He gives a confident smile as he and Ellie stare at one another.

"Break it off" Rufus said "We have a mission to do"

As the group slowly wanders deeper into the facility, Ellie notices a short flash on her right.

Acting quickly, Ellie uses her right hand to pull Alexander back as a bullet narrowly passes his nose.

Rufus opens fire on the position the bullet came from.

Using her eagle vision, Ellie spots 4 individuals in the dark corners of the facility.

One of the individuals then charges at Ellie, who blocks the attacker's fists with her arms, causing her to come crashing into a nearby wall.

"Black Suits!" Chloe shouted as another one attacks her

She quickly blocks the attacker with her swords.

Recovering quickly, Chloe proceeds to hack her opponent, who easily parries or dodges her attacks.

It did not take long for her opponent to find an opening but before the black suit could deal a fatal blow, several shots hit the individual who jumps back with amazing speed.

"You alright?" Jericho asked as he checks on his comrade

"I'm fine… Bitch's tough…"

Both combatants then assume battle postures as their assailant recovers and lunges towards them.

Meanwhile, Ellie engages her assailant outside. She manages to grapple herself free from the black suit's grip.

She then draws her pistol but her opponent quickly pushes her right arm to the side, causing her to miss and does a palm strike on her chest, sending her flying straight into a tent.

Ellie quickly recovers as she stares at her opponent.

"Trying to copy my strain, eh…" she said as she lunges at her opponent, who easily parries her attacks "… It's good but nowhere near as perfect as mine!"

She attempts a right hook but the black suit grabs her hand and attempts to grab her face.

Ellie manages to avoid the strike by quickly ducking. She then kicks her adversary's chin, causing him to let her go.

She then sideswipes the black suit, focusing on his feet.

Her opponent quickly drops to the ground. Before he could recover, Ellie grabs his mask and destroys it with only the force of her right hand.

"I knew it" she said as she sees the pale, almost deformed face of a man "… Nice try but that is a cheap knockoff"

She ends her opponent's misery using her hidden blade.

Wasting no time, Ellie enters the building, hoping to aid her allies only to find the attackers had fled.

"The fuck happened?" she wondered

"They suddenly retreated" Polonsky answered

"You think it's a good thing?" Chloe asked

"Doesn't matter" Jericho replied "They're mighty strong and fighting them really gets me pumped!"

"Think it's because I managed to kill one of em?" Ellie wondered as she drags the dead black suit inside

"This man…" Rufus said as he recognizes the man despite his deformities

"You know him?"

"Let me check…"

Rufus then examines the man's torso and sees a dogtag

"Butch?!"

"So you do know him"

"So this is what happened to him…"

"What do you mean?"

"There have been very suspicious reports of missing personnel and civilians in and around NCR territory. The cover stories were very convincing but me, Alexander, and a few others knew better"

"So… They were actually kidnapped and forced into these experiments…"

"We had some evidence but we don't have definitive proof… until now… Finally, all their deaths would have meaning…"

"Who was this Butch?"

"… A good friend… Arrogant at times but a good man at heart… He travelled with me a few years ago and became a ranger too… But 2 years ago, he went missing in a mission in Virginia. We never heard from him again…"

"Shit…"

"Butch… I'll make sure those bastards will pay for what they did to you…"

"Looks like Butch is gonna help us one last time…" Alexander added "Let's not waste it"

"Right!"

As everyone positions themselves near the steel doors, Rufus places his friend's body just near it.

"Tunnel Snakes forever…" he muttered as he does a sign of the cross

 **Command Room:**

"Knock. Knock" Alexander said after he blew the steel doors open

As two NCR troopers attempt to shoot the general, Chloe and Jericho quickly neutralize the threat with non-lethal force.

"Y-You…!" the NCR officer said as he attempts to draw his pistol but stops as Chloe places her sword just behind his neck.

"I told you" Alexander said as he walks closer "You'll regret this"

"What are you planning?"

"Something I should have done a long time ago"

Alexander then tunes his radio to broadcast on all channels of the NCR

* * *

Attention all units.

This is General Alexander!

We have all been deceived and lied to!

The NCR we came to know, love, and protect has been infiltrated by greedy bastards that care only for themselves!

Even now, they sought to misguide all of you and was even low enough to use weapons of mass destruction against our enemies!

Our reputation has been tarnished! Our names have been darkened!

Many have died! And many have suffered! And for what?

To sate the growing greed of these politicians and the numerous officers under their pockets!

For those of you who still doubt me, I have some news for you!

Remember the countless missing persons cases, both civilian and military?

As well as the numerous "casualties" on a supposed "easy" battle?

I have definitive proof that General Lee Oliver and his lackeys are behind this!

They would kidnap these unsuspecting innocent people and subject them to heinous experiments! Some turned into those ghouls you witnessed massacring the rebels just a few hours ago!

The others became the infamous black suits, who are nothing more than mere shadows of their former selves!

They lied to us! They lied about the true status of our friends and families!

They lied about what happened in those mysterious cases!

And now, they're using those poor souls as fodder for numerous experiments!

One of our fellow rangers is a victim of this heinous act!

And the higher ups know about it! His name was Corporal Butch DeLoria!

So now, I am announcing through this channel that I, Alexander Desmond Crocker, will be defecting!

And if any of you still have any love, respect, and patriotism, you will do the same!

Stand up against the lies and greed of Lee Oliver and his lackeys!

* * *

"Ha!" the NCR officer said "You just made it official to all squads that you are an enemy! You think they would for a second-"

But before he could finish his sentence, several people begin to chatter through the radio. They were talking almost at the same time and it was almost hard to comprehend the message but one line kept on airing through the waves:

"We're with you, General Alexander!"

"Impossible!" the NCR officer said "H-How…?"

"It's because you and your pussy general" Alexander replied "Look at these soldiers as merely pawns, tools. Like they're just some kind of gun to be used then thrown away! A real general gets to know his men, inside and out! And he inspires them! That is what you all lack!"

"No!"

"Believe it bitch!" Alexander shouted as he punches the NCR officer "You assholes don't know how to fucking lead an army! That's why you keep losing!"

 **2 hours later:**

Ellie and the others gather at a hastily erected radio tent as they contact the rebel leaders

"Well. Well." Red said "A fortunate turn of events"

"You sure we can trust them?" Johannes retorted "I'm not entirely comfy with this. What if it's a trap?"

"Where did your sense for risk taking go?" Laren asked "I thought you were the type to take risks in an operation?"

"W-Well… This I'm still trying to make sense of what has happened…"

"Nevertheless…" Elder Lyons added "I have faith in Ellie. We owe it to her afterall…"

"You do have a point" Senora replied

"I think we should give them a chance" Fawkes added

"The Super Mutant speaks" Laren said

"I have captured a number of NCR soldiers and some of them have proven to be honorable warriors"

"I agree" Jack added "I'm willing to put my trust in these guys. Besides, I plenty of cards to play in case any 'unforeseen' events happen"

"It looks like the council has decided" Elder Lyons said "We hope you will be a great asset, General Alexander"

"It's an honor to be fighting alongside such brave and honorable soldiers!"

"Right. We will be sending more troops to your location. Good luck everyone! This is our finest hour! And Ellie"

"Yes?"

"On behalf of the council, I would like to personally apologize for our hostility towards you"

"It's ok, Elder. All that matters now is that we finish what we started"

"Right you are"

 **Command Room**

 **A few minutes later:**

Ellie, Alexander, Rufus, Polonsky, and Vasquez gather at the room to discuss the final offensive on Raven Rock.

"What's waiting for us on that rock?" Vasquez asked

"We're gonna be dealing with heavy gun emplacements in and around the structure" General Alexander replied "Automated and manned. Also, I have a feeling, they'll be deploying elite units such as the black suits in the blind spots"

"So the entire area in and around the base is a killzone"

"Pretty much…" Rufus answered "A frontal assault would be costly. We have limited howitzers and getting a vertibird close enough would be as hard as taming a deathclaw"

"So what do we do?" Vasquez asked

"We stick to a frontal assault" Alexander said

"What?! Didn't you just say it would be costly?!"

"I know but trust me on this. Rufus and I have a trump card that would throw Oliver's forces in disarray. All we gotta do is make sure we hold out on this location for exactly an hour and a half from now"

"From now?"

"Just trust me on this"

"What do you think, Ellie?"

"I guess it's worth a shot but I say we have several vanguards in place in the side of the mountain"

"A good plan!" Alexander said "Now let's execute it! Oliver's not gonna give us time to rest!"


	33. All In

"What a beautiful night" Alexander said as he inhales the night air "Ah… Just smell that air"

"Yep" Rufus replied "These nights kinda make me a bit nostalgic"

"About your younger years in this wasteland?"

"Yep… I used to sleep under these conditions before… Staring at the stars… Thinking about the stuff that happened in my life…"

"Really now… By 'stuff that happened in your life', are you talking about 30 years ago?"

"Yeah… That faithful night at Vault 101… Venturing the unforgiving wastes just to look for dad… To think it all led to me destroying an entire faction… A lot happened in just a short time frame…"

"You still haven't told her, have you?"

"I don't think she needs to know just yet… Besides, we have more pressing matters at hand"

"That is true… But I do hope I can start calling you by your REAL name soon"

"You mean, 'Marcus'?"

"You and I both know that is not your real name"

"Haha! Maybe someday, Alex… Maybe someday"

Alexander chuckles as he continues to stare at the dark horizon in front of him

"Rufus" the general said as he tilts his head forward "I'm not the only one seeing movement, right?"

"I see them too" the ranger replied as he readies his rifle

"I just love it when the enemy underestimates me… Gives me an opportunity to really hit them where it hurts… By the way, turn off the lights"

"True that…" Rufus replied as he turns all the lights on the elevated positions off "Rangers. Look alive. We got a few wannabe infiltrators here"

At Rufus' command, the rangers get into position

"Hey!" Rufus shouted using a megaphone "We can see you, assholes! Walk away or this gets ugly"

Compromised, the enemy troops open fire upon the rangers

Despite hundreds of bullets flying towards them, Gusurg couldn't help but laugh.

"Dumbshits" he said as he aims his rifle "Blind firing isn't gonna help you bastards"

The rangers quickly return fire and easily takes down several enemy soldiers.

"What do we have?!" Ellie said as she emerges from the ladder

"We got it under control" Alexander replied "These pussies are radroaches compared to my rangers"

"They're retreating" Jericho reported

"Told you" Alexander said as he pats Ellie's back "Don't sweat it, kid. We have your backs now"

"R-Right…"

"I'm guessing you're still trying to adjust to us"

"I'm still trying to process everything that happened actually… Why did you decide to defect? And why so quickly?"

"You mean, why I decided to defect even though I was only betrayed for a couple of hours?"

"Yeah…"

"Kid, let me tell you something… We, soldiers, fight to protect either our nation, ideology, etc. We have different reasons why we fight but collectively, we fight to protect the NCR. We made an oath that we'd protect the NCR from any threats and that includes threats from within or at least that's how I see it"

"Threats from within?"

"Politics. No government is immune from the corrupting power of politics. The NCR started out great. President Tandi was a great leader but nothing stays in this world forever… As the years went by, more and more greedy bastards started finding their way into the government… I saw this happening firsthand when I was promoted to this position back in 2280"

"So the NCR was already like this since then?"

"Exactly when the NCR started declining, I don't know the answer to that. What I do know is that it's here and someone's gotta stand up to it"

"But why only you? Or why did the other troops wait for you to say it?"

"Kid… Walk with me"

"O-Ok…"

 **NCR Barracks:**

Ellie and Alexander enter the barracks where dozens of NCR troops were standing by. Some were sleeping, others were chatting with each other, and the rest were checking their weapons and armor.

"Look at these men" Alexander whispered "Each and every one of them has a family. Some have wives, others even got kids, while some only have their brothers, sisters, and parents to return to. I wonder… Up until yesterday, how many of these troopers did you kill?"

Ellie couldn't respond as she knew she killed a significant number of them… All she could do was lay her face low…

"I don't hold it against you, kid. We also got our own share of kills. Deep down, we're not that different. Tell me, did all of the rebels support your cause immediately?"

"Not all… Some needed to be persuaded or we had to make them realize that they had to take arms if they want to maintain their independence"

"Exactly. The same goes for these troops. All these soldiers have friends and family they want to protect. Even if they don't agree with command's ideals, they have no choice but to follow since they believe that they're too few or are too weak to do anything"

"So… You showed them that they're not…"

"Yes. These people don't want to take away your independence as much as you'd want to keep it. They had the drive, all they needed was assurance that they're not alone and they can actually make a difference if they do something. You get me, kid?"

"I-I guess so…"

"Don't worry. You're still young… More or less… You'll get it as you interact with people of different beliefs and ideals"

"That's a bit reassuring but how do you deal with those who have ideals and beliefs that you don't agree with?"

"Simple answer to a simple question"

"Huh?"

"Respect"

"Respect?"

"Yes. You respect my belief, I respect yours. We may not look alike or feel alike or even agree with everything but that doesn't mean we should hate each other"

"Right…"

"Don't stress over it too much!" The general said as he slams his palm on Ellie's back "Come on. We got a long night ahead of us!"

"R-Right…"

 **2 hours later:**

"Looks like we have another wave" Chloe reported as she scours the area with her night scope

"Another one?" Jericho lazily said "Give me a fucking break… It's the 9th fucking wave already… They're still doing the same old tactic as before… Haven't they learned anything…?"

"Wait…" Chloe said "Something's wrong… I'm seeing power armor among them"

"Power Armor?" Rufus said as he looks through his rifle's night scope

"What do you see?" Alexander asked

"Well shit… We got T-60s and X-01s…"

"Looks like they amped their game!" Alexander said "Got any armor piercing rounds?"

"Already loaded!" Rufus answered

"Wait…" Alexander said as he hears a loud noise echo throughout the area "… Did you hear that?"

The group stays silent as they try to hear the noise…

"Oh shit…" Rufus said as he looks up "MORTAR!"

Seconds later, a mortar shell lands right behind the rangers, destroying a nearby weapons cache.

As the rebels wake up to the sound of the mortar's impact, the enemy soldiers in power armor activate their jet packs and begin to attack the base with their miniguns.

"Fucking sons of-" Alexander said as he runs to the command room

 **Command room:**

As the general enters the room, he finds his men are desperately trying to make sense of the situation as several troopers begin to send in casualty reports.

"What's the status?" Alexander asked as another mortar shell lands near the front door, severely injuring several officers "Shit… Someone tend to those wounded! You! Mobilize the troops!"

Alexander quickly grabbed the radio.

"All units! This is General Alexander! We're under attack! Move to your assigned positions! Be advised! The enemy has mortars! I repeat, we are under attack! Also, I want every single artillery and mortar we have to start firing!"

 **Meanwhile:**

"You're gonna be alright!" Ellie said as she tends to the wounds of a NCR trooper

"M-My arm… My ARM!" he shouted in agony

"Your arm?" Ellie said as she checks on the man's nearly detached right arm "Holy shit… MEDIC! I need a medic here!"

"I-I'm a medic…" a NCR trooper said as he approaches to the mercenary

"Good. Can you take him somewhere safe?"

"I-I can! Julyan! I need a stretcher!"

"R-Right…" a female trooper said as she prepares a stretcher and extracts the injured trooper

"Ellie!" Dallas said as she approaches Ellie "We got more wounded! Come on!"

"Fucking hell! Let's go!"

 **Frontlines:**

At the same time, Rufus and the other rangers struggle to keep the enemy at bay as the power armored soldiers slowly got closer to their line

"Focus fire on the power armor!" Rufus shouted as he manages to land a head shot on one of the T-60s

"There's too many of them!" Jericho shouted "These bastards are slippery!"

"Right side! Right side!" Chloe shouted as the other rangers notice several enemy troops, including a few in power armor, were about to breach the line

"Suppressive fire!" Rufus shouted as the rangers lay down heavy fire on the right flank "General! I need more men in the frontlines!"

"I'm trying to direct as many men to the front as possible!" the general replied "But those mortars kinda cut our fighting force in half! I already sent word to the other two camps! Reinforcements should arrive in about 10 minutes!"

"Fuck! Nothing takes 10 minutes!"

"We have to make do with what we have! Just hold your ground!"

"What's the status on the delivery? Shouldn't they be arriving soon?"

"I just received word that the package will be ready in an hour!"

"An hour?! You're shitting me, right?!"

"No bullshit, unfortunately! We gotta hold out for another hour!"

"Fucking shit! Roger that!"

"Black suits!" Chloe shouted as she notices the distinct uniform of the soldiers in the distance

"That's just perfect!" Rufus shouted as he takes aim

Meanwhile, Ellie and Dallas struggle to transport the wounded to a safe zone as the mortars continue to land around them

As they begin to transport another wounded soldier, a black suit lands nearby.

Acting quickly, Ellie confronts the enemy soldier, taking the full brunt of the soldier's tackle.

"Round 2 then…" she muttered as she signals Dallas to go ahead

The Black suit then does a right hook, which she blocks using both her arms

The force of the impact sends her flying a few feet.

"Wow… This motherfucker is tough…" she muttered as the black suit does a high jump

"Wide open!" Ellie uttered as she rolls to the side

As the black suit lands, creating a huge hole in the ground, Ellie quickly lunges at the black suit and begins to furiously stab her opponent using her hidden blades

After several stabs, the black suit manages to grab Ellie's arm and twists it until her bones break!

The mercenary screams in pain as the black suit goes for her left arm.

But before the Black suit could grab her arm, several bullets manage to hit its helmet, causing the black suit to flinch, giving Ellie an opportunity to escape.

"Ellie!" Dallas said as she continues to shoot the black suit with her AK-74u "This way!"

Holding her broken arm, Ellie quickly makes her way towards Dallas.

"Come on!" Dallas said "This way!"

"Where are we going?" Ellie asked

"Trust me!"

"Alright!"

The duo then made their way towards the Command room, with the black suit following close behind.

Dallas fires several bursts from her gun but only manages to momentarily stun her target.

As they neared the Command Room, the black suit does another high jump.

Dallas quickly aims her gun at the black suit.

"SHIT!" she shouted as she realizes the magazine is empty

"Damn it!" Ellie said as she grabs her M1911 and aims it at the black suit

But before she could pull the trigger, she notices a small object near the black suit

"A Baseball?" she uttered as she notices a bullet hit the ball, causing it to explode

The black suit is caught in the explosion and lands a few meters in front of the duo

"Phew… 3.5 seconds faster than my last attempt!"

Ellie looks behind her and sees a familiar face "Rufus?!"

"Hi!" the ranger said as he walks past the duo "That's one you owe me"

"Did you shoot that baseball just now?"

"You got it. Thanks to V.A.T.S."

"V.A.T.S… Not many people are capable of pulling it off… Not bad… for a wastelander"

"Hehe… I'll take that as a compliment"

"Shit!" Dallas shouted "Rufus! Look out!"

Rufus then looks behind him and sees the black suit was about to crush him with its fists

The ranger blocks the attack with his left arm. The shockwave causes the ground around him to crack but the ranger didn't even flinch and manages to push the black suit back.

"What the fuck…?" Ellie uttered as Rufus looks at her and gives a confident smile

Rufus then walks towards the black suit, who attempts to grab his face.

But the ranger quickly evades the attack and does several kicks towards the black suit's torso, causing it to fall back into a defensive position

The ranger then grabs a piece of concrete and slams it on the black suit's head, causing it to be momentarily stunned.

Rufus then used this opportunity to land a punch on the black suit's helmet, causing it to break apart.

"Shit…" he said as he sees the disfigured face of his opponent "… May the Lord give you rest…"

To Ellie's surprise, Rufus picks up his pistol and shoots the black suit several times in the face within the span of 7 seconds

"The fuck…?" she uttered "How could he move that fast?"

The black suit drops to the ground, dead.

"You two ok?" Rufus asked as he approaches the duo

"Rufus… Are you human?" Ellie asked

"Well… That's a great question actually" Rufus replied as he scratches the back of his head "I was born human, that's for sure but I guess the wasteland has a way of taking away your 'humanity', if you know what I mean"

"You're not infected with any kind of FEV?"

"FEV? Nope. I do know exactly what happened to me but if I try to tell you, you'd most likely not believe me and may even think I'm crazy"

"Try me"

"…Well as much as I'd love to continue this interrogation" Rufus said as another mortar shell lands nearby "We've got other problems"

"…Figures…"

"Now then… About your arm"

"Oh right…" Ellie said as she quickly twists her arm to its normal position "There good as new"

"Well. Well"

"You're not the only one who's got tricks up their sleeves" Ellie said as she stretches her left arm

 **Command Room:**

"Where are my mother fucking artillery?!" Alexander said as the ground shakes around him

"Sir!" a NCR trooper responded "We're taking heavy fire from enemy mortars but we've reached the howitzers. 8 are operational. The other 2 suffered severe damage!"

"Goddamn it!"

Just as the general crushes his lit cigarette with his fist, a transmission goes through the radio. "General Alexander!"

"This is Alexander. Identify yourself"

"Paladin Vasquez. Rebel commander, eastern Brotherhood of Steel"

"I hope you got some good news for me, kid"

"I do, actually. I got several vertibirds ready to assist! And the main force is only two minutes away!"

"Well send those vertibirds in!"

"Roger that! They're coming in hot!"

"All units! This is General Alexander! Be advised! We got friendly vertibirds coming from the south!"

Minutes later, several allied vertibirds arrive and begin to hammer upon the enemy forces.

"General!" the howitzer operator said "We've managed to move the artillery! We're awaiting the order to strike, sir!"

"I copy! All units! Pop smoke on the enemy! You know the drill! Let's return the fucking greeting!"

 **Meanwhile:**

"You guys heard that?" Rufus said as he prepares his smoke grenade

"Popping smoke!" a NCR ranger said as he throws a smoke grenade

Within seconds, the frontlines is littered with colored smoke.

"That's danger close!" the howitzer operator said "Will fire in 10 seconds! All friendlies evacuate from the area immediately!"

"You heard the guy!" Rufus said as he gathers the surviving troopers "Let's get outta here!"

Seconds later, the howitzers rain down artillery shells throughout the frontlines, decimating the attackers and causing much destruction in the area.

As the smoke clears, Ellie spots the enemy mortar crews in the distance

"Guys!" she shouted "the enemy still has mortars!"

"I got em" Alexander said over the radio "Alright boys. Let's return the favor! Blow those bastards to hell!"

"With pleasure sir!" the howitzer operator said as the artillery fire upon the enemy mortar teams, decimating much of the area

"Fine work, boys!" Alexander said "Mortar crews are down!"

With the latest wave defeated, Ellie couldn't help but sit down from exhaustion…

"Damn…" she uttered with a sigh "… They're getting tough…"

"I'll say…" Dallas replied "… This attack caused a lot of casualties… Hopefully, it won't affect morale"

"With Alex in command" Rufus added "You won't have to worry about NCR morale"

"Hey Rufus" Jericho said as he examines one of the enemy's power armor "You might wanna see this"

Rufus, Dallas, and Ellie walk closer to the body

"Huh…" Rufus said as he notices a Brotherhood of Steel insignia on the armor "… I knew these rubes would make their move sometime…"

"Wait a minute" Ellie interrupted "Why is the Western Brotherhood interfering directly? Aren't they supposed to be covert or something?"

"This just means that our enemy is getting desperate"

"Ellie!" Paladin Vasquez said as he jumps down from one of the vertibirds

"Paladin! Nice of you to join the party!"

"Sorry we're late!"

"No problem! Party's not over anyway"

"General!" the Paladin said "Reinforcements have arrived"

"Copy that, Paladin! Reinforce the frontlines!"

"General. This is the entire attack force. I think we can start pushing for Raven Rock now"

"Not yet. We're still waiting for a few 'packages' to arrive"

"Packages?"

"Just trust me! Get your men to position and be ready to defend the area and mobilize at a moment's notice!"

"Copy that! You heard the general! Get to position! Medics, tend to the wounded!"

"Yes, Paladin!" the rebel reinforcements said as they go to their respective tasks

A short time later, the ground begins to shake

"What the hell?!" Ellie uttered

"All units!" Alexander said over the radio "This is not over! All able bodied personnel, prepare for another wave!"

As the rebels prepare for another wave, the shaking grew fiercer.

"Something's wrong…" Chloe uttered

"… Just be ready for anything…" Rufus uttered as Ellie notices a worried look in his face

"What the fuck is that?!" a NCR Trooper shouted as a giant mutant, the likes of which none of the soldiers have ever seen before, emerges from the mountain.

"I can't believe they're stealing every single piece of my research!" Ellie angrily shouted

As the giant mutant gets ever closer to the base, several squads of enemy troops, including power armored soldiers, began pouring from Raven Rock.

"Oh shit" Ellie muttered as she picks up her radio "General. I think we'll be needing more firepower than those howitzers…"

"I know" the general replied "I got backup arriving very soon!"

"Uh… How long do we wait? Cuz I don't think we have enough time. Besides, don't we have vertibirds?"

"They're grounded till further notice"

"Grounded?! Why?!"

"Just trust me! I know what I'm doing!"

"What the actual fuck?!"

"Ellie!" Rufus interrupted as a missile hits part of the frontline fortifications "Damn it! Someone work on that hole! Get the wounded out! Ellie! We have bigger problems to worry about!"

"Motherfuckers!" Ellie shouted as she opens fire

"Artillery!" Alexander said "Focus fire on the giant!"

"Copy!" the howitzer operator answered as he signals the other artillery to fire

The artillery fire directly hits the mutant, causing it to take two steps back. It recovers quickly and cries out a loud roar

"General!" Ellie said "Those howitzers are BB guns compared to that giant! You'll only succeed in annoying the living shit out of it!"

"All the more fun!" Alexander answered as another barrage of artillery fire hits the giant

"What?! Are you fucking serious?!"

"I never kid around during a battle! Bring the rain! Yeehaw!"

"Are you insane?!"

Before Ellie could say anymore, several enemy soldiers, in T-60 power armor, land just behind the mercenary.

One of the enemy soldiers then punches Ellie in the face, causing her to flinch.

"You caught me at a bad time…" the mercenary uttered as she spits out some blood

As the soldier attempts to grab the mercenary, Ellie quickly dodges the attack but relents landing a hit on her adversary.

"Stay still!" the enemy soldier said as his attacks are easily dodged by the mercenary

"Typical…" Ellie uttered as she quickly moves behind the soldier "… rookie mistake"

She then turns the valve behind the armor, causing it to open.

"Shit!" the soldier said as Ellie hijacks the armor

Before the soldier could recover, Dallas grabs him by the throat and knocks him out

"Been a while since I've used one of these…" Ellie muttered as she charges towards the other enemy soldiers.

Meanwhile, Alexander changes the frequency of his radio and begins to transmit.

"Hey Sparrow!" he said "This is Papa Bear! Looks like everything is going according to plan! But they'll catch on soon enough so we gotta execute the next phase!"

"I copy, Papa bear" a male voice replied "Delivery will be complete in one minute. Prepare your men for the final assault"

"Righto! We'll keep the enemy busy until then!"

Back in the frontlines, Ellie and the other rebels struggle to defend their position as more and more enemy soldiers begin breaking through their lines.

"Oh Fuck…" Ellie muttered as the giant was dangerously close to the camp "General! We got a huge piece of shit dangerously close! Your howitzers can't do shit now!"

"Don't worry!" the general replied "Everything is going according to plan!"

"Plan?! Don't tell me… You fucking backstabbing piece of-"

But before she could reply, Ellie sees a large chunk of rocks landing within the base

"Son of a-" she uttered as the giant was about to crush them

But to Ellie's surprise, the giant stopped midway, almost as if something had grabbed both of its arms

"What the?" she muttered as she notices several sparks in the area

Seconds later, the sparks intensify.

A giant robot then uncloaks, revealing that it grabbed the mutant's fist

"What the hell is that?" Ellie uttered in surprise

"Liberty Prime" Rufus answered confidently

"Chinese forces detected" the robot said in a loud, menacing tone "Probability of Communist Victory… ZERO!"

The robot then pushes the mutant back and punches it twice in the head, causing it to lose its balance.

Liberty Prime then fires its laser weapons at the monster until it dies

"See" Alexander said "All according to plan"

"General?" Ellie replied "What do you mean?"

"Well… I think someone else is more suited to explain this than me so I'll patch you right to him. He's quite enthusiastic to greet you, actually."

"Greet me?"

"Ellie!" a familiar voice said "It's been a while!"

"That voice…" Ellie uttered as her eyes widen "… Arthur?!"

"Haha! That's right!"

"Arthur?! H-How? A-And where are you?"

"Look up!"

"Look up?"

As Ellie looks up, she notices several sparks in the sky.

Seconds later, a large airship and several vertibirds suddenly appear in the sky

"What the actual fuck…?" Ellie uttered

"Sorry we're late" Arthur said as the vertibirds and Liberty Prime begin to eliminate the enemy stragglers

"You took your sweet time!" Alexander replied "I had a feeling that some of my new allies thought I was about to stab em in the back!"

"Sorry. Sorry" Arthur replied "The Prydwen wasn't really designed for speed"

"Oh well… Better late than never, I guess"

With the enemy forces in full retreat, the vertibirds begin to unload more troops into the ground, with some wearing various power armor from T-45s to X-01s.

"All units!" Alexander broadcasted "Looks like Oliver wanted to send us a certain message… How about we give him our reply… EN MASSE!"

It didn't take long for the rebels to shout a battle cry as Alexander continues his speech:

"That's what I want to hear! We're not just some fucking doormats that can be easily stepped on! We once held our own guns against each other! Once having different beliefs and origins! NCR, Rebel, Mercenary, Raider… It doesn't matter right now! We are united under a common cause: to right the wrong that has spread throughout the wasteland! So let's show Oliver and his pussy-assed 'soldiers' what real warriors can do!"

The rebels shout another battle cry!

"Now then! It is my great pleasure and honor to both be a member of this revolution and issue this order… All units! Storm the fucking metal gates of Raven Rock! Show them your resolve! Your dedication! Your power! Your FURY!"

With a loud battle cry echoing throughout the area, the rebels charge towards the rocky slopes of Raven Rock, supported by Liberty Prime and Allied vertibirds & howitzers.

Ellie attempts to get to the frontlines using her stolen power armor

"Wait!" James said as his vertibirds lands near Ellie

"James" Ellie responded

"I think you'd prefer to use this" James said, wearing a T-45 power armor, as he exits the vertibird

Ellie's eyes widen as she sees a familiar object in the vertibird. "Is that…?"

"Your old power armor" Audrey answered while wearing a T-51 power armor

"But where did you find it?"

"Does it matter now?" Coby said as his verrtibird hovers above

"Coby! You're alright!"

"Yep! Arthur and Elysse are in here too! So put on your old power armor and let's get to the ass kicking!"

"Yeah!" Ellie said as she exits the hijacked power armor and enters her old Enclave armor

Quickly accustoming herself to the old controls of her armor, Ellie couldn't help but feel nostalgic.

"It's been decades…" she uttered as she practices moving her arms and legs "Damn… This feeling…"

"Looking good!" Sithis said as his vertibird hovers nearby "Now that you're ready, let's get to the action already! Me and Jayce are itching here!"

"Alright" Arthur, wearing a T-60 power armor, said "Pride! This is it! The moment we've been dreaming for the past year! We've lost a lot of good friend to reach this moment… Let's see it through to the end! For Kodiak! For Vyse"

"Yeah!" Everyone shouted as Ellie boards James' vertibird

 **Raven Rock; Courtyard:**

 **10:30pm:**

The vicinity of Raven Rock runs ablaze with gunfire as both sides furiously open fire upon one another.

As they neared the battlefield, Ellie notices that the vertibirds are keeping a certain distance from Raven Rock

"Why aren't we getting closer?" she asked

"The enemy has anti-air turrets set up!" the pilot responded "We're waiting on Liberty Prime to take em out!"

As Ellie provides support using the vertibird's minigun, Liberty Prime walks every so closer to the enemy stronghold.

"Communism is the very definition of failure!" the robot announced as he throws a nuke, like a football, towards the enemy base

"Anti-air defenses are down!" Arthur said over the radio "All units move in!"

The rebel vertibirds then move in closer to the base, providing better support to the rebel ground forces.

"Watch out for enemy missile launchers" a vertibird pilot announced over the radio

"Whoah!" another pilot said as his vertibird narrowly dodges a missile "We got a missile trooper! 2 o'clock!"

The vertibirds then began to drop in rebel soldiers, in power armor, in Raven Rock's courtyard.

"Take us closer!" Ellie said as the pilot complies

But before they could get into position, a bullet punches through the vertibird's windshield, piercing through the pilot's head

"Jerry!" the co-pilot said "Jerry's down! I repeat, Jerry's down!"

"What?!" Ellie said as she sees a black suit, with a Barrett .50 Cal, in the distance "We got a black suit!"

"Fuck!" James said as he exits his power armor "I'll replace the pilot!"

"Be careful…" Audrey muttered "… James"

"Fly in as close as you can to that black suit!" Ellie said as James complies

The black suit fires another shot, pushing through the windshield.

"Fucker!" James said as he tilts his head to the side "That nearly got me!"

Before the black suit could fire another shot, Ellie uses the wrist mounted guns on her armor to suppress the black suit.

She then jumps out of the flying vertibird and uses her jet pack to land close to the black suit.

Ellie then activates her wrist mounted blades and charges towards the black suit

Meanwhile, Rufus and the other NCR rangers encounter heavy resistance by the base's gates.

"Should we call in air support?" a NCR ranger asked

"No" Rufus responded "They're too entrenched for the vertibirds to do anything. Besides, the enemy has missile launchers. The last thing we need are more unnecessary casualties"

"Jericho! Chloe! Gusurg!" Rufus said "Layers of fire!"

"Roger!" the three responded

"The rest of you. Focus fire on the enemy positions! Don't give em a chance to breathe!"

"Moving!" Gusurg shouted

"Move!" Rufus responded as Gusurg quickly moves to Rufus' right

"Set!" Gusurg said as he resumes firing his rifle

"Moving!" Jericho said

"Move!" Rufus responded as Jericho moves past Gusurg

"Set!" the ranger said as he resumes firing

"Moving!" Chloe said

"Move!" Rufus responded as Chloe moves past Jericho

"Set!" she said as she resumes firing her rifle

"Check!" Gusurg shouted

"Ok!" Rufus responded

Gusurg then reloads his rifle and shouts. "Ready!"

"Moving!" Rufus shouted

"Move!" Gusurg responded as Rufus moves past Chloe

The team proceeded to repeat the same tactic over and over again until they finally reached the enemy lines and easily defeated the enemy soldiers.

"Nice work, Rangers" Rufus said

"Who knew those pre-war recordings of some guys training firearms would come in handy" Gusurg noted

"Yeah… What were their names again?" Jericho wondered

"I think it was two guys named Hailey and Costa…?" Chloe replied

"Cut the chatter" Rufus said as he signals the rest of the men to move in "The battle's not done"

"Roger!"

Meanwhile, Ellie manages to pin the black suit to the ground

"Gerard has a lot to answer for…" she uttered as she stabs through the black suit's mask

"Ellie" James said over the radio

"James" she replied "How are you holding up?"

"The vertibird's taking small arms fire… We're gonna displace somewhere, we'll meet you inside the courtyard!"

"Roger! Be care-"

Just then, Ellie notices an enemy trooper holding a missile launcher with a lock-on feature.

"JAMES!" she shouted "Missile!"

"Oh fuck!" he said as he attempts to dodge the rocket

The trooper launches the missile and hits one of the vertibird's engines

"Shit!" James said as he struggles to maintain control of the vertibird "We're hit! Vertibird's out of control!"

"James!" Ellie shouted

"You!" James said as he struggles to get into his power armor "Get that parachute! We're jumping out!"

"Y-Yes sir!" the co-pilot responded as they pull themselves towards their targets

"James!" Audrey said as she reaches out for the Paladin

"Audrey!" James said as he grabs her hand

Audrey then pulls James in and helps him enter his power armor. With his power armor on, James then assists the co-pilot in getting some weapons and a parachute.

"JUMP!" James shouted as the trio jumps out of the vertibird, seconds before it crashes and explodes

"James! James!" Ellie shouted "You alright?!"

"We're ok!" James responded "But we've got enemy troops crawling everywhere! We could use some backup!"

"On my way!" Ellie responded as she headed towards James' position

 **Minutes later:**

"Bring him with the others" Rufus said as two NCR rangers escort a captured enemy soldier

"Rufus" Alexander said over the radio "Give me a sitrep"

"Courtyard is secured" Rufus answered "But the enemy locked themselves inside Raven Rock. The steel doors are strong as hell. We're forming up and restructuring the squads for the final push"

"So what's the plan?"

"Arthur proposed we send in only small squads into the base. A large force would create more casualties and make it harder to fight in the tight corridors"

"Alright. So how will you break through the door?"

"Ellie still remembers the floorplan of the base. We'll use C4 to destroy part of the base's walls and we'll insert from there"

"Who's inserting?"

"Me, the rangers, and Lyons' Pride. Also, one of the rebel leaders is here. He wants to enter the base with his own squad too"

"Who want to enter?"

"Johannes"

"Johannes… huh… You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I think so"

"Interesting… Go. Let him come with you. Execute the plan and be prepared for… the 'unexpected'"

"Hahahaha! Copy that, general"

 **5 minutes later:**

"Are the preparations done?" Rufus asked

"Almost…" Coby responded "… Done!"

"Good…"

"Johannes" Ellie said "Are you sure you want to go in with us?"

"I'm sure" the rebel commander replied "I want to end this with my own hands"

"I haven't had much contact with you in a while… I guess I missed a couple of stuff while I was gone"

"You sure did"

"Alright" Rufus said "We punch a hole into the base! NCR General Lee Oliver is our primary target! He MUST be taken ALIVE"

"Right!" everyone answered

"My Pride will take point" Arthur said

"We'll be rear guard then" Rufus added "Commander Johannes, what's your plan?"

"I only have a two men with me so I'll just go with the Pride"

"Alright then"

"Coby" Arthur said as the squads prepare themselves "If you please"

"I thought you'll never ask" Coby responded as he detonates the C4

"Go! Go! Go!" Rufus said as the squads move in

 **Raven Rock; Hallway:**

"We got about 4 shooters in the hallway!" Audrey assessed as James opens fire on the enemy

"Suppressive fire!" Arthur ordered as Rufus and his men move to another room across the hallway

As more enemy soldiers arrive, Arthur throws a frag grenade, eliminate a few troopers

"Ellie!" he said "You go with Rufus and his team!"

"What? Why?" the mercenary wondered

"You're the most knowledgeable about the base! You'll guide Rufus and his men to where Oliver would probably be!"

"Alright"

"Let me come with you" Johannes added

"Commander? Why?" Arthur asked

"I want to be the one who captures that filthy NCR commander, no offense"

"None taken" Rufus replied "So Arthur, will you let him come with us?"

"Alright. Be careful commander"

"I will"

 **Raven Rock; Level 2**

 **A few minutes later:**

"3 tangos on our right!" Chloe said as the squad opens fire on the enemy troops

"X-01s!" Jericho shouted as the enemy power armored soldiers fire their miniguns

"Motherfuckers!" Rufus shouted as the squad takes cover

"Everyone" Ellie said "Take off your helmets!"

"What?!" Rufus responded

"Just do it!"

"Alright"

"On my go, cover your ears"

"Uh ok…"

"NOW!" she shouted as she fires a grenade from a compartment under her right arm

Ellie quickly shields her eyes as the grenade detonates, blinding and deafening the enemy soldiers.

"Quick!" Ellie said as she prepares to fire her wrist mounted guns "Open fire while they're stunned!"

"Right!" Rufus said as the squad breaks cover and opens fire on the stunned enemy troopers "Nice job, Ellie! Let's move!"

As the squad moves forward, a metal door suddenly closes in front of Ellie, separating her & Johannes from Rufus and his men

"Ellie!" Rufus said from the other side

"We're ok!" Ellie responded "We'll find another way around! Just keep moving forward! You should come across a big metal door! It'll lead you to Level 4! Oliver is probably there!"

"Roger that! Be careful!"

"You too!"

"Alright" Johannes said "So where do we go?"

"This way" Ellie said as the group moves to the left, leading them into a small hallway

As they traverse the hallway, Ellie notices a door. Despite it appearing like the rest, she could not help but feel as if this door was special

"Ellie?" Johannes said as he notices Ellie had stopped and started staring at the door "Ellie?"

"Wha?! Oh…" Ellie responded as she goes back to reality

"What's going on?"

"Hold on… I want to investigate this door"

"What's so special about it?"

"I'm not sure…"

Ellie then opens the door and sees a familiar room. Inside was a small bed, a terminal on the left, and several laboratory equipment in most parts of the room

"I knew it…" she uttered "This was my room… 30 years ago…"

"Your room?" Johannes wondered

"Yeah…" Ellie replied as she exits her power armor and checks on the terminal

As she correctly enters the password, Ellie scans through the various files in her old terminal and spots several files that caught her attention…

"The Mind reader…" she muttered as she opens the file "September 4th, 2168. It turns out that those rumors on that mind reading artifact may have some truth in them… I have to admit that I am still skeptical about the authenticity of this artifact but I would be lying if I said that I wasn't curious. And so through some 'research', I managed to find evidence of the existence of this artifact… I wonder, should I report this to the president? Maybe once I get enough evidence, I'll report it…"

As Ellie finishes reading the files, she couldn't help but move on to the next

"My Mission…" she uttered, opening the file "June 5th, 2238. After years of research and covert reconnaissance, I finally had enough evidence for the existence of not only this mind reading artifact but many other artifacts with varying abilities. I reported my findings to President Richardson who was gracious enough to let me in on the Enclave's inner circle. Now I understand why we do what we do and it only strengthens my belief in the Enclave's mission! Although, the others will view us as cold-hearted murderers, I hope that one day, we may reveal the truth behind our genocidal mission throughout the wasteland so that the survivors will at least understand that everything we did was for them, for humanity… Glory to the Enclave!"

As she reads the last line, Ellie couldn't help but feel nervous…

"What the hell…" she muttered "… What's this mission? Why can't I remember it…? And what is this inner circle? What's going on?"

Wanting more information, Ellie was prepared to look through all of the files

"Ellie!" Rufus said over the radio

"Rufus?" she responded "What's going on?"

"We found Gerard at Level 4! But he's closed the door on us. He says that he'll only open it for you! You need to get here"

"… Alright… I'm on my way"

"We'll secure this level" Johannes said

"You're not coming along?"

"I'll be coordinating the others! We need to secure the entire base!"

"Alright! I'll leave that to you!"

Ellie then enters her power armor and quickly heads towards Level 4.

 **Raven Rock; Level 4**

 **A few minutes later:**

"I'm here" Ellie said, arriving at the area

"Right" Sithis said as he shouts in the intercom "Hey! Asshole! Ellie's here! Open the fucking door!"

"Still an impatient hothead…" Gerard responded "… I'm opening the door but I want only Ellie to enter"

"What?! You scheming pile of shit! You-"

"That's enough, Sithis" Arthur said

"I'll go in" Ellie said

"You sure?" Rufus asked "This could be a trap"

"Trap or no trap" she replied "I gotta face him someday"

"Leave some for me!" Sithis shouted "I also want a piece of that good-for-nothing piece of shit!"

Ellie then looks at Audrey, whose face tells Ellie she wants revenge.

"I'll go in alone…" she said again

"Ok" Arthur replied "Be careful"

As the door opens and Ellie enters, Sithis and Audrey couldn't help but feel frustrated

"Why?" Sithis asked "Why'd you let her go alone?"

Arthur did not respond

"Hey!" Sithis shouted as he walks closer to Arthur "Why the fucking hell did you let her go alone?!"

"It's because I know what's gonna happen next" Arthur replied

"What?"

"Sithis… I think it's time I tell you and Audrey what actually happened on that day…"

"What do you mean…?" Audrey asked as she walks closer

 **Raven Rock; Command Room:**

As Ellie walks into the big room, filled with terminals and a big screen in the middle

"Finally" Gerard, wearing a highly customized X-01 power armor, said as he appears on the top balcony "It's nice to see you again in person, Ellie"

"I can't say it's a pleasure…" Ellie responded

"Still defiant… Tell me, what do you hope to accomplish by bringing down the NCR offensive in this region?"

"Huh?"

"Do you actually think this would stop the Western Brotherhood? Or even prevent future NCR offensives? This war will keep on going… All the way to the north…"

"What are you saying?"

"All I'm saying is that even if you succeed now, that won't be the end of it. Will you still fight knowing full well that your action wouldn't amount to anything?"

"… You do know that all this 'talking' is pointless, right?"

"I guess you're right…"

Gerard then fires several shots from his wrist mounted guns. Ellie instinctively activates her armor's shield, blocking the bullets

"… Time for action then!"

Gerard then uses his armor's jetpack and flies above Ellie. He then drops down and attempts to crush his adversary

Ellie quickly moves to the side as Gerard lands, creating a big hole in its wake.

Ellie then activates her wrist energy blades and attacks Gerard, who does the same.

"Come on!" Gerard said as he parries Ellie's attacks "Where's the drive?!"

"Just warming up!" Ellie responded as she pushes Gerard, who quickly recovers

Gerard then fires another few rounds from his wrist mounted guns as Ellie activates her shield and slowly walks closer to Gerard, who continues firing.

"Come on!" he shouted "Give me some thrill here!"

"You want some thrill?" Ellie said as she fires a stun grenade at Gerard "I'll show you thrill!"

Gerard is momentarily stunned by the grenade, giving Ellie enough time to run and grab the front of his power armor.

"Nice move…" he said "But not enough to beat me"

Gerard then jumps out of his power armor.

"Son of a bitch!" Ellie said as she sees Gerard throw a pulse grenade at her

The grenade detonates, causing her armor to shut down

"Gerard!" she shouted "You dirty little piece of-"

"-Shit?" Gerard interrupted as he places his face near Ellie's helmet "In a battle, brute force alone will not give you victory… Sometimes you have to be a little bit cunning"

"Bitch!"

"Ooh… Scary… Hahahaha! Now then, what should I do next?"

"I think you should reconsider underestimating me!"

"What was that?"

"I said" Ellie shouted as she forces her armor to open with sheer brute force "To not fucking UNDERESTIMATE me!"

"Wow… It's on then!"

"Round 2!"

"Bring it ON!" Gerard enthusiastically shouted as Ellie lunges towards him

Ellie flicks her wrists and attempts to slash her target using her hidden blades. But Gerard easily dodges them.

"Hey no fair…" Gerard playfully said "I don't have a weapon…"

"Sucks to be you then!" Ellie said as she does several strikes that Gerard easily dodges "Hold still you fucker!"

"Nope…" Gerard said as he jumps high and lands on the top balcony

"Get back down here, asshole!"

"Don't worry" her opponent said as he picks up a cane "I'm just levelling the playing field!"

Gerard then drops down and attempted to strike Ellie with his cane but the mercenary quickly parries his attack.

Ellie then jumps high and attempts to pounce her adversary but Gerard uses the top part of his cane to redirect the mercenary's arm, causing her to miss.

Recovering quickly, Ellie resumes her assault on Gerard, who hardly flinches as he parries the mercenary's attacks.

It did not take long for the two fighters to end up in a deadlock.

"Come on, Ellie" Gerard taunted "Can't you remember any of the good times we all had back in the golden days of the Enclave?"

"Those days are gone!"

"Don't say that… There is still hope for the Enclave. Why won't you join us again? After all, you believed in the 'American Dream' too"

"Shut up!"

Gerard sighs. "I guess with everything that happened… It looks like you've been influenced by these wastelanders… A pity… But I guess the Eleanor Neumann that I knew is long dead…"

Gerard then twists the top part of his cane and quickly unsheathes a hidden sword and attempted to stab Ellie but the mercenary quickly dodges the attack.

The two then resumed their duel with no clear indication of a winner…

"Tell me, Ellie" Gerard said as he parries one of her attacks "What's so special about these irradiated mutants? Why are you trying to protect them?"

"It's because I lived with them! I bled with them! They're no different from you and me!"

"What makes you say that? They may act human but they're no longer human! Take those ghouls and super mutants as an example!"

"That may be true but sometimes, even 'non-humans' are more capable of humane than normal humans besides…"

"Huh?"

"A wise general once told me. We may not look alike or feel alike or even agree with everything but that doesn't mean we should hate each other!"

Ellie then proceeded to with another attack.

Satisfied, Gerard smiles as he drops his weapon

"What?!" Ellie shouted as she stabs her adversary in the torso

Gerard reels in pain as he collapses to the floor.

"Gerard!" Ellie shouted "What the fuck?!"

"Hahaha…" Gerard said as he coughs out some blood "… I guess this is over…"

"What do you mean?!"

"Hey!" Gerard shouted "I've unlocked the door! You can get in here!"

Upon hearing that, Rufus, Arthur, and the others enter the room and surround Ellie & Gerard

"Gerard…" Sithis said "… is it true?"

"What's true?" Gerard asked

"Were you forced to do all those things?"

"Hahaha…"

"Answer me, you sick fuck!"

"Would it matter? I did a lot… of heinous things to so many people…"

"What do you mean?" Ellie asked

"Gerard isn't who you think he is…" Arthur responded

"What?"

"He's your older brother, Ellie…" the Sentinel answered

"What?! No… That's impossible… I don't even remember him being my brother…"

"It's true…" Polonsky added "… He asked us to make sure you don't remember him even after we restored part of your memories…"

"Why?!"

"Because you're a liability…" Gerard answered

"Liability?"

"I lost faith in the Enclave years before you were captured… I was planning to defect but I was caught… They didn't want me executed since I contributed a lot to the organization and with the destruction of the Oil Rig, they couldn't afford to lose an asset…"

"So they forced him to work for the Enclave from there…" Arthur added "Using you as their hostage"

"But how?" Ellie asked

"They secretly sabotaged your FEV research. And when you underwent that operation back in the Commonwealth, they used that as an opportunity to place something in your head…"

"Something in my head…?"

"Basically" Gerard answered "They made you into a ticking time bomb… They threatened that if I don't follow orders, they would activate whatever it was that they implanted on you and make you go on a rampage… A rampage that would end with you either being gunned down or slowly and painfully dying from the effects of the implant… I couldn't bear to have you experience that so I had no choice…"

"No…"

"Then Morris and Nora…" Sithis said

"I had to kill Nora in front of you and Audrey… I had to make it convincing too…"

"Gerard…"

"But now…" Gerard said as he smiles "I see that you've grown, Ellie… I can leave this world knowing that you won't let that implant get the better of you…"

"What made you say that?" Ellie asked

"Everything I did… Killing innocent people like Nora, slowly driving you mad… All of it… I did for you... To protect you and also ensure that you grow as an individual… You are our hope…"

"Hope?"

"Haven't you gone to your old room yet? You should have at least checked the terminal and read about the 'mind reading artifact'…"

"What of it?"

"That artifact and many other similar artifacts are the root cause of this conflict… And you are the only person who knows where they are… Ellie… You must stop him…"

"Him?"

"The true manipulator… The man behind all of this…"

"Who? Who's behind all of this?"

"Johannes…"

"Johannes?!"

"Yes… The man you people identified as one of the rebel leaders… He's the man behind all of this… He must be stopped… He thinks that these artifacts would help create the utopia that the Enclave envisioned… He's wrong…"

"Why? Why are you only telling this to me now?!"

"Because I wanted to make sure that Johannes had no strings on you too… That he couldn't use the implant against you…"

"I don't understand…"

"I sent Dallas to make sure you grow the way I'd hope… And she did her role really well…"

"Dallas?"

Gerard gives a pained smile. "Good work, Dallas… Your mission is almost complete… Ellie… I had entrusted all of the serums and samples of your research to her… Including the serum that would eliminate all of the inhibitors you placed on your FEV…"

"What? Gerard… I-I don't get it… Wh-Why…?"

"There's no time… Go! You have to find Johannes and stop him… Sithis… Audrey… I-I won't ask for your forgiveness… I knew what I was doing but I hope you understand why I did all this…"

"Gerard…" Sithis said

"You killed my parents…" Audrey said as she walked closer "… you bastard… You killed my parents, caused so much misery, and now you're telling us all this?!"

"Audrey…" James said as he rests his hand on her shoulder

"…Audrey… It's true that I killed your mother… But your father… He's still alive…"

"What?!"

"He was captured during the fighting… Severely injured but alive… I made sure he was treated for his wounds… But I instructed him to stay away from you until everything is finished…"

"Then where?! Where is my dad?!"

"Back… to where we all met…"

"Chicago?"

"Yes… He's waiting for you to find him in Chicago…"

"Gerard…"

"I'm sorry that this is all… I could do… But I guess, no evil deed goes unpunished…"

"No!" Ellie said "I won't let it end like this! Dallas, please I need you to-"

"No" Gerard said as he grabs Ellie's arm "I'm satisfied… I've been dead inside for decades… I'm satisfied…"

"Gerard…"

"Don't cry… Ellie… Remember that pendant I gave you all those years ago? The day I gave that to you, I told you to be strong and believe in yourself… So don't cry… I'm happy… Happy that through all the evil that I've done, I managed to secure a bright future for all in the wasteland… I'm satisfied… I'm happy… Little Sister…."

Gerard then closes his eyes as his right arm drops to the floor…

"Gerard?" Ellie said as she shakes his lifeless body "Gerard?! Gerard!"

Ellie cries for a few minutes before putting down his body…

"Let's go guys" she said "The mission's not over"

"She's right" Polosnky said "We have to stop Johannes"

"Right!" Rufus said "Me and the Rangers will capture Oliver! You guys go hunt down that bastard!"

"With pleasure!" Audrey said as she and rest move to Level 2.

 **Raven Rock; Level 2**

 **Ellie's Room:**

Ellie and Pride enters the room and finds several Rebel soldiers guarding the area

"Hey" Ellie said "Where's Commander Johannes?"

"The Commander?" the rebel soldier replied "He just left a moment ago"

"What? Where did he say he was going?"

"Not really sure, ma'am… But I guess he's planning on returning to the Citadel"

Ellie then quickly checks her terminal

"Shit… My files are all gone…" she said

"What?!" Arthur responded

"That fucker… So that's why he wanted to stay behind… Let's go! We gotta hurry to the courtyard!"

 **Raven Rock; Courtyard**

 **A few minutes later:**

As the Pride exits through the main door, they find a lone vertibird lifting off.

"Shit!" Sithis said "We missed him by seconds!"

"Get me a vertibird!" Arthur said as another vertibird lands nearby "The vertibird can only support a few of us. So me, Polonsky, and Ellie will go after Johannes"

"Argh…" Sithis said "Fine…"

"... Make him pay for what he's done…" Audrey said

"Don't worry… we will" Ellie responded as the vertibird lifts off

Ellie's vertibird quickly catches up to Johannes.

"Johannes!" Ellie said over the radio "Where do you think you're going?"

"Ellie?" the rebel commander said "I'm headed towards the Commonwealth to give my thanks to the Minutemen"

"Are you sure that's what you're gonna do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Weren't you supposed to go back to the Citadel?"

"Well about that… I wanted to thank the Minutemen first since they helped us out of such a tight situation"

"You know, Johannes. Gerard told us an interesting story… That you were behind all of this"

"The enemy commander told you that and you actually believed every word?"

"Johannes. My terminal was wiped clean… Every file I had there was gone… Do you know how that happened?"

"I-I dunno…"

"Are you sure? Cuz you were the only one who knew about my terminal"

"I…"

Johannes then sighs as his vertibird opens fire upon Ellie's vertibird

"I guess I've been found out" the rebel commander said as his vertibird continues to fire "Yes… It's true…"

"So you're the fucking the spy, I reckon" Polonsky said

"That's true too"

"So then, everything that happened the past year…" Ellie said "… was your doing?"

"More or less…"

"Well then, I guess that's enough info… I'm gonna fucking smoke you, you son of a bitch!"

"I'd like to see you try!"

Ellie then mans the minigun and begins to open fire upon Johannes' vertibird.

"Increase speed!" Ellie said "I want to slice that bastard myself!"

The vertibird quickly picks up speed as it receives machinegun fire from the enemy vertibird

Minutes later, Ellie find herself completely parallel to Johannes, who taunts her with several bursts from his rifle.

"I guess Gerard was really a good-for-nothing traitor after all…" Johannes said "But he was useful for a couple of decades… Thanks to you, Ellie…"

"I'm gonna make you eat those words!" Ellie shouted as she grabs a grappling hook and fires it on his vertibird

She then uses it to reach Johannes, who was ready for her.

Ellie lands the first hit with a punch to Johannes' head but her adversary quickly recovers and punches her in the stomach, causing her to recoil.

"You know…" Johannes said as he picks up a detonator "… I had high hopes for you, Ellie. You were the most loyal Enclave officer I had ever known and now, you're throwing that away… Oh well… Say goodbye to your sanity"

"Shit!" Ellie shouted as Johannes presses the button

The mercenary is quickly bombarded with excruciating headaches as she struggles to maintain her composure.

"You piece of… shit!" Ellie said as she struggles

"Gerard thinks by helping you 'grow', you can overcome the implant I placed? For a former Enclave officer, he sure is stupid to believe in something like that"

"D-Don't you… dare talk… shit…about him!"

"And what will you do? Swear me to death?"

Johannes then turns the nob in his detonator, intensifying the effects of the implant.

Ellie collapses to the floor of the vertibird as she tries to resist the effects of the implant.

"You know, this is getting boring… It's too easy…"

Ellie didn't respond as she struggles to maintain her composure…

"Oh well… Can't have you going berserk in my vertibird"

Johannes then pushes Ellie overboard.

The mercenary lands at the shallow part of an irradiated pond

It didn't take long for Polonsky and Arthur to catch up.

"Ellie!" Arthur, wearing power armor, said as he approaches the mercenary

"Shit…" Polonsky said "The implant's been activated!"

"Damn it!"

"A-A-Arthur…" Ellie said with a pained tone

"Ellie?!"

"L-Leave me behind… S-Stop J-J-Johannes…"

"Fuck!"

Seconds later, the familiar sound of another vertibird can be heard

"Another vertibird?" Polonsky said as he sees two in the distance behind them "Who's piloting that?"

"Hey!" Sithis said over the radio "Arthur! Polonsky!"

"Sithis!" Arthur said "You guys followed us?"

"No shit! We can't have you get all the action!"

The two vertibirds then land nearby and the rest of the Pride gather around Ellie

"Shit…" James said "… What do we do?"

"D-Dallas…" Ellie muttered

"What?" Dallas said as she comes closer

"Th-The s-serum…"

"The serum? Wait… No! It'll release all of your inhibitors! You don't know what'll happen to you!"

"D-Doesn't m-matter… I-I'd go m-mad e-either way…"

"Ellie…"

Ellie then musters enough strength to crouch…

"Dallas…" Ellie said "Please…"

Dallas thinks to herself for a moment before pulling out a green serum from her first aid kit.

"You sure about this?" she asked

"D-Didn't my brother send you to help me…?"

"That is true… Alright… Godspeed…"

Dallas then hands over the serum to Ellie, who injects it on her neck.

The shaking stops and Ellie closes her eyes as the Pride looks on.

Seconds later, Ellie opens her now green cat-like eyes…

"Ellie?" Arthur said

"I'm fine now…" she responded as she stood up "I'll deal with Johannes…"

"Ellie" Sithis said as he gives the mercenary a thumbs up "Give him hell!"

"I will" the mercenary replied as she dashes towards the direction Johannes went

"You think she'll be fine?" James asked

"I don't know…" Dallas answered "She may be fine for a few days or maybe even years but without those inhibitors, she'll be consumed by the FEV eventually…"

"Well… all we can do now is just wait and see what happens..."

 **Minutes later:**

Ellie quickly catches up to Johannes' vertibird

"Commander" the vertibird pilot said "Radar's picking up something behind us"

Johannes then checks the outside and sees Ellie, running in close pursuit

"Don't know when to give up…" he muttered as he mans the minigun "Circle around! Use every weapon we got! That bitch goes down today!"

The vertibird then circles around as Johannes opens fire upon Ellie, who outpaces the 5mm rounds.

Ellie then does a high jump, landing in front of the two pilots. Without giving time to react, Ellie breaks through the windshield and stabs both pilots with her hidden blades.

As the vertibird spins out of control, Ellie then lunges at Johannes, who dodges her strikes.

He then punches Ellie, who doesn't even flinch

"So you've chosen a slow death eh…" Johannes said

"Well I got some unfinished business!" Ellie answered as she attacks Johannes, who either dodges or parries her attacks followed by a counterattack.

Eventually, Ellie manages to grab Johannes' throat and punches him senselessly. She then jumps out of the falling vertibird as it crashes into the ground.

As she stares at the burning wreckage of the vertibird, Johannes emerges, with only cuts and bruises.

"You little shit…" he said "… Don't realize that I'm doing all this for the Enclave?! For America?!"

"I still have gaps in my memories… But what I do know is that despite the Enclave's noble purpose… Our methods are unacceptable…"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this from you… YOU of all people!"

"I'm a different person now… I'm no longer the same person 30 years ago…"

"You FOOL!"

Johannes then charges at Ellie, who readies herself for the fight

She dodges Johannes' right hook and attempts to slash him with her right blade.

Her adversary blacks her right arm and sucker punches her straight in the face but she didn't even flinch.

"That all you got?" she said with a confident smile

"Don't get cocky" Johannes replied as he kicks her in the stomach, sending him back.

The fight then resumes with Ellie charging towards Johannes, who utilizes a Taekwondo-like fighting style to parry her strikes and perform counterattacks.

Minutes pass by and the battle shows no indication of a clear winner…

"You any tired yet?" Johannes taunted

"Not even close" Ellie replied

"So do I" Johannes answered as he resumes his attacks

After being hit in the head several times, Ellie could feel her aggression and adrenaline course through her body.

She soon noticed that time had slowed all around her, as if she had just taken jet.

She uses this to her advantage as she grabs Johannes' leg and breaks it.

She then punches him in the head, causing him to fall to the ground.

As he opens his eyes, Johannes sees Ellie's berserk red eyes as she positions her right hidden blade above his throat.

"You're running out time…" he muttered with a defiant smile "… In the end, we'll both die…"

Ellie did not respond as she was breathing heavily

"Come on. End it already"

Ellie then pulled her right arm back and prepared to stab her adversary.

But as her blade was about to pierce through his throat, a hand grabs her right arm.

"Don't" a familiar voice said

Ellie looks to her right and sees a familiar friend. "Vyse?"

The knight sergeant smiles as he shakes his head

Ellie then puts her arm down as Vyse helps her up.

"Vyse…" Ellie muttered

"Killing Johannes won't correct all this. You know what you have to do"

Before Ellie could respond, she is attacked by a seizure.

Johannes smiles as he sees Ellie struggle. "Looks like your time has come. Letting go of all those inhibitors… Fool"

As Ellie squirms on the ground, Vyse picks her up and injects her with a strange syringe.

Ellie immediately stops struggling and falls unconscious.

"What?!" Johannes uttered "What did you do?! How are you alive?! Marina was supposed to make sure you died!"

"I did 'die'…" the knight sergeant answered "But there's more to my story than meets the eye…"

"What?"

"I was one of Ellie's experiments. I was infected with her experimental FEV. Initially, it caused me to 'die', which labelled me a failure and was disposed of. But I really didn't die. The virus just had a different side effect on me"

"Impossible… I was there during her initial research! How?!"

"Well I guess the world can be big sometimes. And to answer your other question, I just gave her restrains back…" the knight sergeant replied as he stands up and brings out syringer and fires it at Johannes

"Gah! What is this?!"

"So that you don't escape. Your FEV has been 'cured'"

"Cured?!"

"It's gone… Which means, once I do this" Vyse said as he shoots the former rebel commander several times in the legs and arms "You won't regenerate"

"Damn you!"

"Ellie should wake up in a minute or two… You won't bleed out… I assure you"

Vyse then turns around

"Hey! Where are you going?!"

"I've been 'dead' for decades…" the knight sergeant replied "… I think it's time I disappear from the limelight…"

He then crouches and caresses Ellie's hair.

"Goodbye, Ellie" Vyse said as he kisses her forehead "I hope you're a better person now than you were 75 years ago…"

The knight sergeant then walks away and disappears into the dark windy night…

Johannes attempted to crawl but the pain of caused by his injuries was just too much for him to move.

He then hears the sound of several vertibirds in the distance. Knowing it was over, the former rebel commander couldn't help but laugh…

* * *

 _Following the battle of Raven Rock, the NCR was forced to withdraw from the region._

 _With the capture of General Lee Oliver, the dark secrets of the NCR were revealed to the public and were outraged by the revelation._

 _*With the rebels successful in repelling the NCR, the remaining factions decided to unite under the same flag and formed The Union, composed of factions from the Capital Wasteland, Virginia, New Carolina, and the Commonwealth._

 _*Following the formation of its own government, the Capital Wasteland once again became the paradise it was described to be during its 'Golden Years' and the NCR was forced to withdraw back to New California as the rebellion inspired other groups to fight for their own territories._

 _*_ _ **General Alexander**_ _returned to New California following the formation of the new government. Although he was initially arrested for treason, he managed to turn the tides of justice against the NCR government. Through the information he gathered over the years, Alexander revealed the truth behind the corruption of the NCR government. The resulting outrage forced many officials, including the President himself, to resign in shame. Following the elections, the NCR, according to Alexander, was now under proper leadership._

 _*_ _ **Arthur Maxson**_ _and_ _ **Elysse**_ _returned to New California as well. Appearing before the grand elders of the Western Brotherhood, they sought to change the isolationist ideology of the Brotherhood. After several years and a few 'disappearances', Arthur was named as the new Elder of the Western Brotherhood. Applying the teachings of Owyn Lyons, the Brotherhood has become a prime example of the selflessness displaced by their founders. Arthur and Elysse married shortly after he became Elder and had two children, a boy and a girl._

 _*_ _ **Coby**_ _remained in the Eastern Brotherhood, becoming a drill instructor for new recruits. He was 'infamous' for his strict and 'inhumane' drills. But he claims that these are merely necessary since the recruits may face a difficult battle in the future._

 _*_ _ **'Rufus'**_ _resigned from the NCR Rangers and opted to remain in the Capital Wasteland while his other squadmates returned to New California. His identity as the Lone Wanderer was never revealed to the public. Feeling nostalgic, the Lone Wanderer decided to visit his old home, Vault 101, one day. To his surprise, the Vault door opened and he was welcomed as a fellow Vault Dweller. Seeing his old friend, Amata, the Lone Wanderer couldn't help but chuckle and say "It's about damn time" before walking into the vault he left 30 years before…_

 _*With the threat of the Western Brotherhood gone,_ _ **Sarah Lyons**_ _passes away in her sleep, shortly after Arthur was named the new Elder of the Western Brotherhood. She was given full military honors and was finally buried next to her father's grave. In her gravestone, a quote was placed saying: "A Lion does not concern himself with the opinions of sheep"._

 _*_ _ **James Lyons**_ _succeeds his mother's position as Elder of the Eastern Brotherhood. He continued his mother's and grandfather's work, creating a better Capital Wasteland. Following his marriage to Audrey, the two also had children. Twins. A boy and a girl._

 _*Before marrying her fiancé,_ _ **Audrey**_ _returned to Chicago to look for her father, with James as her companion. After several days, she finally finds him, waiting at the same barracks where she spent her childhood. It was a tearful reunion._

 _*_ _ **Sithis**_ _and_ _ **Jayce**_ _returned to New Carolina. With his war days over, Sithis retired to a small cabin in a hill overlooking Gleamist. From there, he lived a quiet life, reminiscing the days he had spent and "he spent them right…" as he would say it. Jayce, on the other hand, became the chief of Police in the territory of New Carolina._

 _*Through **Fawkes'** leadership, the super mutants lived peacefully along with the humans and aided Dr. Barrows in his research. Thanks to their efforts, Dr. Barrows managed to create a cure preventing ghouls from going feral as well as a serum that helped repair some of the damages to the brains of the super mutants. _

_* **Jack** , the leader of the once infamous Talon Company, stayed in the Capital Wasteland. Through his alliance with Senora Cruz's Regulators, they formed a powerful police force for the Capital Wasteland. Despite Jack's constant flirting and rumors on the matter, Senora denies any romantic attraction towards the Talon company leader, stating that she still distrusts the mercenary group as a whole._

 _*_ _ **Polonsky**_ _left the Capital Wasteland one day. No one knew why he suddenly left but rumor has it that he has a mission to fulfill and despite the NCR's defeat, it is not yet finished_

 _*_ _ **Dallas**_ _followed Polonsky in his travels. She was last seen in The Hub at New California, headed north to what was once known as Washington State. She was never seen again…_

 _*_ _ **Ellie**_ _, with her memories fully restored, has come to realize the true nature of the conflict she was involved in. Wanting to make amends for her sins, the young 'mercenary', disappeared from the Capital Wasteland. Rumors persist on where she went. Some would say she went north to the Commonwealth, other claim they saw her in Arizona. Nevertheless, one thing all these rumors could agree on is that she is hunting for someone or something…_


	34. Truth

**?:**

Ellie walks down a metallic hallway and enters a room.

Inside were her friends, Dallas, Sithis, Polonsky, Rufus, and Steiner

"What's this?" Ellie asked as she notices a weird device in the middle of the room

"This is called the Animus" Steiner answered "It is a device that allows you to relive the memories of people who have long been dead… All you need is their DNA"

"So… What does this have to do with me?"

"You want to know the truth, right?" Polonsky said

"I think it's time that you know everything now…" Rufus added

"Ok…" Ellie said, still feeling skeptical "So what do I do?"

"Just sit down and relax" Steiner answered "We will relive one memory from your past"

"Just one?" Ellie asked as she sits down

"Yes. Viewing it alone is enough for you to understand everything. Now then, all I need is a sample of your blood and… there"

"I hope this isn't a mistake…" Dallas uttered

"Come on, Dallas" Rufus said "Still no faith until now?"

"Just saying…" the medic replied as Steiner starts the machine

* * *

Ellie opens her eyes and finds herself in a small room surrounded by 4 men, with Gerard behind them.

"Eleanor Neumann" a tall elderly man said "You have displayed total loyalty to the virtues of our organization and have shown that you can get results when needed. Do you swear to uphold the principles of our Order and all that from which we stand and to do from now until your death whatever the cost?"

"I do" Ellie answered

"Very good" the elderly man said as he places a familiar ring on Ellie's finger "Then by the power vested in me, you are now one of us. May the Father of understanding guide us"

"Congrats" Gerard said as he walks closer to his little sister "You're now a Templar"

"I know…" Ellie replied "I couldn't believe it myself…"

"Now that you are one us" the elderly man said "It is time to tell you our purpose…"

* * *

2077… That was when the Great War began… The War that devastated not only America but the entire world… We are what's left of the US government and this country must be cleansed… That is what the academy teaches all of us but there is more to this story…

In the years before the Great War, Vault-Tec and the US government worked together in building these vaults to help preserve humanity in the event of a nuclear holocaust. We believed in them for a time but what we didn't know was that Vault-Tec had ulterior motives… And no, it's not that we did not know about the social experiments. It's the fact that Vault-Tec's objectives with these experiments differ from ours.

On the eve of the war, the officials of the US government figured out the lie too late… Vault-Tec had manipulated everything. They wanted the nuclear war to happen. They sabotaged all the nations and manipulated all of them to launch nukes at one another… The world was engulfed in the fire caused by Vault-Tec. The ones who survived in the surface mutated into grotesque shadows of their former selves… All for the purpose of a 'restart' for humanity. Vault-Tec's reasoning behind the genocide was to 'restart' the world claiming that our continued destruction of natural resources would end with making the Earth uninhabitable…

And that was how our purpose was born… We will hunt down Vault-Tec and make them pay for what they did to the world. They survived this holocaust, we know it. They are hiding somewhere in the wastes looking at the world. Fooling themselves that they saved it. And the poor people who degenerated into mutants… All we can do is put them out of their misery… There is no cure for mutations… But the least we can do for these poor souls is to end their pain… That is the true purpose of the Enclave. We will avenge the destruction and death caused by Vault-Tec.

And we, the Templars, will stand as the shepherd of humanity and lead them back to the prosperous years of the pre-war days…

* * *

Ellie opens her eyes and sees her friends surround her

"So now you know" Polonsky said as Ellie leans forward

"Vault-Tec caused the Great War?" Ellie asked

"Yes…" Rufus answered

"Templars…" Ellie muttered "Now I remember… So that means you guys are…"

"You guessed it" Sithis said

"But why? Why did you let me live?"

"It's because we don't have the time or luxury to be bickering anymore" Polonsky answered "Our factions have been at war for centuries but now we have a bigger threat ahead"

"Huh?"

"Vault-Tec, Ellie. They're planning something… And they're backed up by a bigger force than the Templars or the Assassins"

"So where do I fit in all this?"

"We need you to rally all of the remaining Templars" Rufus said "And we need you people to aid us in the fight against Vault-Tec"

"What makes you think the Templars and Assassins will get along?"

"I believe we can" Rufus answered "Just look at the Sons of Liberty- no, the Union – composed of so many people from different walks of life and there was once a time when these people were at each other's throats, the Super Mutants alone is a good enough example"

"So why me?"

"You were our best bet of making this alliance fruitful"

"So Ellie" Rufus said as he approaches the 'mercenary' "We need your help… Please, will you help us?"

Ellie then looks around the room and remembers all the moments in her life. From the time she joined the Enclave Science division to the Templars to the events the led to the formation of the Sons of Liberty…

After a few minutes, she stares at the insignia in the wall, which she now recognizes as the Assassin's insignia and smiles.

 **-The Washington Insurgency-**


End file.
